Six too Many
by TammyDevil666
Summary: Two completely different families are forced to live together when their parents get married. Spike finds himself drawn to his new stepsister, but will she feel the same way about him? What consequences would they have to deal with? Spuffy!
1. Chapter 1

I decided that it was about time I put this story in here, now that I actually wrote more of it. This one's a lot of fun and I'm pretty proud of it. I guess I kinda based this a little on "Cheaper by the Dozen" and "Yours, Mine, and Ours." It's a lot different, though. I still seem to be taking a while with my updates for Not Your World, so I wanted to post something that I knew wouldn't take me as long. I really hope you guys would like this one and let me know what you think. Things will be a bit rocky in the beginning, but I promise much Spuffiness!

**Chapter 1**

"You did what?"

Joyce Summers took a deep breath as six voices started to come at her all at once. "If you'll be quiet, I'll be happy to say the rest." She sighed in relief when she was finally met with silence. "It was very sudden, but it's something that we both wanted. Now, who has any questions?"

They all raised their hands.

Joyce figured it would be easier to go with the youngest first. "You're up, Dawn."

The young girl nodded and stood up. "I would start with how crazy this is, but I figured that's something Buffy would say," she remarked, giving her older sister a smirk.

Buffy just stuck her tongue out.

Dawn turned back to her mother. "You really got married?"

Joyce sighed and looked at all six of her children. "I'll explain it the best way I can. I knew Rupert a long time ago when we went to school together in England. He happens to be moving here now. We ran into each other the weekend that I was in Los Angeles. All of those old feelings that we had in the past just came back. We were going to get married then, but there were too many obstacles that got in the way. I know deciding to elope was really sudden, but Rupert isn't some man that I met on the street. He's very dear to my heart and I'm still very much in love with him."

They all took it in, neither knowing what to say to that.

Dawn decided to speak up again when it looked like no one else was going to. "What about Daddy?"

Joyce moved closer to hug her youngest daughter. "I loved your father very much. He gave me six wonderful gifts, but I don't think you ever really get over your first love."

Dawn nodded, trying to understand everything that her mother said.

Joyce pulled away and stared at the others. "I'm sure you all will like him, but there's more that you need to know. We have this nice, huge house and plenty of room. So, Rupert will be moving in here next week. I should also mention that he has six kids of his own." She shut her eyes tight at the yelling that she knew was about to take place.

"Six kids!"

"That would make twelve of us in one house!"

"Fourteen counting you two!"

"This is totally insane!"

"We only have two bathrooms!"

Joyce held her hand up. "I understand that this is a lot to deal with in such short notice, but I'm sure you will all learn to get along fine. They're just moving here and don't really know anyone yet, so I want everyone to make them feel at home once they arrive. There are some sacrifices that will have to be made, including sharing your bedrooms and the restrooms."

Most of them groaned at that.

"This is so not fair, Mom. I need at least a half an hour in the bathroom every morning. They're going to cut into my beauty time." Cordelia, the eldest daughter, commented.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "We wouldn't want that. I've seen you in the mornings, it's not pretty."

Cordelia scowled at her younger sister. "Shut up, brat! This just ruins everything!" she yelled, then bounded up the stairs.

Joyce could feel a headache coming on.

"For once, I agree with her. I'm going for a walk." Xander, her twin brother, replied. He then made his way out of the house.

Buffy and Dawn went upstairs, without saying anything else.

Riley and Tara were the only ones that stayed in the living room with Joyce.

He cleared his throat before speaking. "I'll be living in a dorm this year, so I guess I could handle it. I'll talk to them."

Tara agreed. "As long as you're happy, Mom."

Joyce smiled at her two remaining children.

Riley was the oldest and always managed to be a good influence on the younger kids.

Tara was the sweet and shy type. She hated any confrontation and would only ever speak up if she had something that really needed to be said.

"I really appreciate that. I'm sure everything will work out." Joyce told them, trying to convince herself that it was true. She wondered how Rupert was coping with his family.

* * *

"You have got to be bloody kidding me! You want us to be the sodding Brady Bunch?" 

Rupert Giles cleaned his glasses, knowing that this would not go very well. "Please, William. Would you let me finish?"

He scowled. "I told you, I go by Spike now."

Giles rolled his eyes and chose to ignore that comment. "Joyce was a very close friend of mine. We were lucky to find each other again. I know that no one could ever replace your mother, but Joyce is a good woman. I'm sure you will all learn to love her, and her children grew up in Sunnydale. They would be able to help you get adjusted." He looked at the faces around him, none all that happy with the news.

"This really sucks, Dad. First you have us move out of LA to some small town where nothing pretty much ever happens, and now we have to share our space with six other kids? This family is big enough as it is." Faith stated, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I realize this is hard to accept, but it will work out for the best. I'm sure of that. Now that everything is settled, you should continue with your packing. I don't want to hear anymore complaints about this."

They watched as their father walked away.

"Nothing good can come out of this. He's lost his damn mind."

Spike rolled his eyes at his younger sister. "You know how he is when he sets his mind on something, Faith. There's nothing we can do about it."

"I think this could be a good thing."

They all turned at the voice of their oldest sister, Fred.

"I mean, it's really sweet that he found someone again. He's been pretty lonely." She looked at her older brother, Lorne, positive that he would back her up.

He only nodded. "Yeah, she's right."

Fred rolled her eyes now. "That was very convincing."

Lorne shrugged. "That's the best I could do, sis. Well, you guys talk about this amongst yourselves. I have things to do," he said and walked away.

"Yeah, like painting his face more. He wears more bloody makeup than Marilyn Manson."

"Like you're one to talk, bleach boy. You spend longer looking in the mirror than any woman I know."

Spike glared at Faith.

"Okay, that's enough. You two can argue with each other later, we have more packing to do. Come on, Connor." Their other sister, Drusilla, said. She grabbed her younger brother's arm and pulled him upstairs.

Spike and Faith were the only ones that remained in the same position.

She shook her head. "There has to be a way out of this."

Spike rolled his eyes once again. "Yeah, let me know when you find it." He walked away, leaving Faith alone with her thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"You have got to be kidding me." Cordelia stated after seeing the new family that would be moving into their house.

They were meeting for the first time a few days later, all shocked by how different the other family was.

"They're a bunch of freaks," she continued.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I'm sure they're thinking the same thing about us."

* * *

"This is a bloody nightmare," Spike commented. 

Faith had to agree with that. "We're living with the Partridge family."

Giles ushered them all closer to the Summers clan and graced Joyce with a smile.

She smiled in return, then started the introductions.

Giles took over once she was finished.

They were met by complete silence from all of their children.

Joyce tried to make things less awkward. "Well, why don't you all get situated inside? It's great to meet all of you after hearing so much about you from your father." She was met with nods and figured that was good enough.

They then entered the house and looked around. They had to admit that it was a whole lot bigger than their house in Los Angeles.

"Wow, this place is awesome!" Connor claimed as he continued to look around. He was the second to the youngest at only fourteen-years-old, and he didn't mind about the move.

Dawn smiled at him. She liked that there was someone else around that was close to her age. He was only a year older than she was. "Come on, I'll show you the rest." She took his hand and pulled him upstairs, without bothering to wait for a response.

Joyce was relieved that the two youngest children seemed to get along already.

"You do have a really nice house."

Joyce smiled at the dark haired girl that spoke. She had a whole Goth image going on, but Joyce could tell that she was a very sweet person. "Thank you, Drusilla. I appreciate that."

Spike moved closer to his sister. "Suck up," he whispered in her ear.

Drusilla glared at him. "It wouldn't kill you to be nice."

He scoffed at that idea, but didn't say anything about it.

The rest of the kids went to get situated into their new rooms.

Joyce and Giles sat down on the couch, both exhausted by the day's events.

"Do you really believe this will work out?" she wondered.

Giles smiled and gave her hand a comforting squeeze. "They may be very different, but I'm sure they will get along in no time."

Both adults suddenly heard a scream come from upstairs.

Cordelia then came bounding down the stairs like the devil himself was after her. "Mom, they brought vermin!"

Joyce didn't know what she was talking about, until Faith came downstairs with what seemed to be a pet rat.

"Calm down, Barbie. It's just Amy, she's harmless."

"This is ridiculous. First we have to share a house with these freaks and now we have to share with their creatures, too? That thing looks diseased."

Spike tried not to laugh at the cheerleader after he witnessed her outburst. He could tell that she was the type that would cry about breaking a nail. The whole bloody lot of them was probably just as bad.

"Cordelia, that's very disrespectful." Joyce responded, embarrassed by her daughter's actions. "As long as she has a cage to stay in, I don't see the problem."

Cordelia looked like she was about to say something else, but Buffy stopped her when she made her presence known.

"I don't know what you're getting so worked up about. She looks cute to me," she said, taking Amy out of Faith's hands and stroking her rough fur. "You're not diseased, are you?" She laughed when Amy tickled her palm in response.

Faith smiled, relieved that at least someone in that family seemed to be normal.

Spike couldn't take his eyes off of Buffy. It was the first time that he really got a good look at her. She was definitely gorgeous, but he quickly shook that thought away. She was his step-sister now and he refused to like any of them. She was probably a bloody cheerleader like her sister. It didn't matter that she took a liking to rats.

Faith and Buffy headed back upstairs, with Buffy still holding Amy.

Cordelia scowled at their backs and ran into the kitchen, complaining along the way.

Spike went outside for a cigarette. It was a new habit that he suddenly picked up. He just hoped that his father never found out about it.

* * *

Buffy talked to Faith for a bit when she placed Amy back into her cage. She realized that the brunette wasn't so bad. She needed a breather from the chaos that was going on in the house and decided to go for a walk outside. She left out the back door and took a deep breath, then suddenly coughed. She noticed that it was cigarette smoke and went to see where it was coming from. She saw Spike on the other side of the house and made her way over to him. 

"You know, that's a really bad habit."

Spike turned to look at her. He shrugged and took another drag of the cigarette. "We're all gonna die sometime. What business is it of yours, anyway?"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "This is my house, so I'm making it my business."

He laughed and flicked the cigarette to the ground, firmly stepping on it with his foot. "I'm not even in the bloody house and last time I checked, it was my house, too."

"Fine, just don't let my mom catch you."

Spike raised his eyebrows. "Is that supposed to scare me? Let me guess, you were a little princess, right? You always did everything that your mommy and daddy asked of you, never one to make any mistakes. You're probably one of the popular girls at school. If your sister is anything to go by. I hated those chits at my old school. They always think they're better than everyone else, looking down on those that are different. Well, they don't get much different than me, princess. I'm sure we'll have a good time," he finished sarcastically.

Buffy glared at him. "You don't know anything," she replied, then turned and walked away.

Spike watched her go as a smile lit up his face. Yeah, he would definitely have fun with that one.

* * *

Buffy wiped the tears from her eyes when she got back to her room, glad that it was now empty. She sat on her bed and clutched her stuffed pig to her chest. She wouldn't let anything that Spike said bother her. He didn't know just how wrong he was, but he was about to find out. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"God, I can't believe Mom is torturing us like this. She has nothing in common with that English guy. I don't know what she sees in him, and his kids are total slobs."

Buffy was starting to get a headache at her sister's constant bickering. She slammed the book closed that she was trying to read. "Would you shut up already? None of us are happy about this, but you don't hear us complaining all the time. I'm actually trying to study, which I know is something you're not familiar with. So, take your babbling elsewhere."

Cordelia glared at the blonde and stood up. "I don't even know why I bother to talk to you, anyway. You used to be a lot more fun."

Buffy rolled her eyes and turned her attention back on her text book. "Things change," she replied.

Cordelia shook her head and left the room.

Buffy let out a sigh once she was gone and then grabbed her headphones. She put them on and blasted the Sex Pistols CD that she decided to 'borrow' earlier that day.

* * *

"Has anyone seen my bloody CD? I know I had it on my bed." Spike ranted for what seemed to be the millionth time that night. No one knew anything and he decided to look upstairs. He came across Buffy's room to see that the door was opened a little. He peered in and saw her sitting on her bed, bobbing her head to whatever she was listening to in the headphones. His eyes then landed on her dresser and he noticed the CD case that he was looking for. He was fed up and suddenly barged into her room. 

Buffy took her headphones off at the interruption. "Do you want something?"

He only glared at her and grabbed the CD case off of the dresser, holding it up for her to see. "I haven't even been here for a sodding week yet and you're already stealing from me."

She rolled her eyes. "I was going to give it back. That's what siblings do, we always share," she said with a false smile.

Spike was ready to wipe it off of her face. "I have enough bloody sisters, they at least know not to take my stuff. Maybe I should clarify that for you." He grabbed her CD player and took the disk out of it, placing it back in the case. "Hands off, Betty."

She stood up and glared daggers at him. "It's Buffy," she retorted back.

He only laughed. "Right, that's a real winner there. What's an airhead like you even doing listening to my music? You probably don't even understand it."

Buffy was fuming and decided to let that last comment go. "Did you just call me an airhead?"

He shrugged. "I call 'em like I see 'em. Now, keep your cheerleader self away from my things, got that?"

Buffy's jaw practically dropped and she honestly didn't know what to say to that, but she never got the chance.

Spike left the room and shut the door behind him.

* * *

They were all sitting around the dinner table later that night, no one knowing what to say to start a conversation. 

Joyce decided to be the one to break the silence. "So, you kids are starting at a new school tomorrow. I bet you're looking forward to it."

Faith laughed at that.

Fred elbowed her in the side for her rudeness.

Joyce chose to ignore it and focused on the others around the table. Her eyes immediately rested on Buffy, whose head was down. "Honey, you should really eat something. You've just been staring at your food for the last five minutes."

Buffy knew her mother was addressing her, without even needing to look up. "I'm not hungry," she replied.

Joyce then glanced at her husband.

Giles knew the look meant that he would have to say something. He had an extra group of kids to worry about now. He needed to give them just as much attention as he would his own. He cleared his throat before speaking. "Your mother is right, Buffy. You should eat before it gets cold."

She looked up at him. "There's this thing called a microwave, I could always reheat it."

Giles nodded. "Yes, but that's not exactly the point. I believe you didn't have anything for lunch, so it would be best if you ate something."

"Why do you care? I don't have to eat if I don't feel like it."

"Buffy! That's quite enough, young lady."

She glanced at her mother now. "What? Why do I even need to listen to him? He's not my father!" she yelled, then got up and ran upstairs.

Joyce graced Giles with an apologetic expression. "I'm really sorry about that. She can be quite the handful. I'll be right back."

Giles nodded again and watched as Joyce also headed up the stairs. He then turned to look at the rest of the family.

No one knew what to say after that.

Tara got up the courage to speak after a moment. She wanted to make Giles feel better. He seemed to be really nice and treated her mother well. "I'm sure she didn't mean it."

Dawn agreed. "Buffy just hasn't been the same since Daddy died."

Cordelia decided to continue. "Yeah, she used to be a lot more fun. Now, she just likes to keep to herself and hardly talks to anyone."

Giles took a deep breath. "Yes, I'm hoping she'll be all right. This takes some getting used to."

They couldn't agree more.

* * *

"Buffy, we need to talk about this." Joyce said once she entered Buffy's room, only to find her daughter lying in bed and turned in the other direction. 

She finally turned around after a few seconds. "I can't do this. I tried to be all supportive of your decision and give them a chance, but it's killing me. How can you just do this, Mom? How can you marry a guy out of nowhere and just expect all of us to accept it? Dad has only been gone for two years. How can you replace him already?"

Joyce sighed when she noticed the tears in Buffy's eyes. She sat down next to her on the bed. "Sweetie, you know that no one can replace your father, but he would have wanted me to be happy. Rupert is a wonderful man and I know that he already cares for all of you. It's only the third day of having them here, I don't expect for you to adjust to it so soon. I just want you to try a little harder, honey. Will you at least do that?"

Buffy shrugged and wiped her eyes. "I'll try, but I'm not making any promises."

Joyce smiled and placed a kiss on her daughter's forehead. "That's all I ask."


	4. Chapter 4

I know Buffy may seem kinda weak now, but she really isn't. It's just hard to lose your father at a young age, especially if you were really close to him. She decides to finally give Spike a piece of her mind. No worries, he won't be a jerk for much longer. I promise much Spuffiness, just have to stick with me. Thanks for the reviews so far!**  
**

**Chapter 4**

Monday came and it was yet another school day, the first for the Giles clan.

Buffy rolled her eyes as she made her way over to her locker and saw who was standing in front of it. She chose to ignore him and opened her locker, placing her books inside.

"You have to talk to me eventually."

She sighed and shut her locker door once she was finished. "I really don't." She started to walk away, but was stopped when he grabbed her arm.

"You're being ridiculous about this, Buffy."

She snatched her arm out of his grasp. "I'm being ridiculous? You cheated on me, Parker. I don't have anything else to say to you."

"It didn't mean anything. You've been really distant lately. Kathy was just there when I needed someone. We only slept together that one time."

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest, obviously not believing him.

"Okay, there were a few more times after that, but it was just meaningless sex. You're the one I want, baby." He tried to sweet talk her, but Buffy wasn't having it.

"Goodbye, Parker." She tried to walk by him, but he grabbed her arm again.

"I can't let you walk away, Buff. Come on, we were so great together. Let's just forget about the past." He ran his hands down her arms.

Buffy shivered from his touch, but not in a good way. "You got one thing wrong, Parker. It wasn't just meaningless sex with Kathy. No, what we had was meaningless sex, but it's over now. I'm moving on to the less pathetic."

Parker grew angry and slammed her against the lockers, not caring who saw them. "You little bitch!" he spat.

"Is there a problem here?"

Parker moved away at the sound of a new voice.

Buffy was surprised when she noticed that it was Spike.

"No, there's no problem." He looked back at Buffy. "I'll deal with you later, Summers."

Buffy rolled her eyes and watched Parker leave. "Please, you're all talk, moron!" she yelled after his retreating back. "God, I have the worst damn taste."

Spike smiled at her last comment. "Yeah, I'll have to agree with that."

She wasn't amused. "I could have handled him. I didn't need your help."

"Right, looked like you had everything under control. Maybe I should have waited until he slammed your head against the wall."

Buffy glared at him. "Why do you even care? It's bad enough that I have to deal with you at home. I don't need you harassing me at school, too. Just leave me alone."

Spike was starting to lose his patience now. "Fine, I don't even know why I bothered. You really are a bloody drama queen, you know that? This is the last time I ever try to help you." He smirked before continuing. "You better hurry; they're probably having cheerleading practice soon. Wouldn't want to miss it."

Buffy had about enough after that remark. "What the hell is your problem? I'm not a damn cheerleader, okay? I think the whole thing is stupid and I would never be caught dead in one of those outfits. My sister is the popular one and just because she's a cheerleader, doesn't mean that I am. I'm nothing like her. If you weren't so quick to judge me, you would have figured that out by now. Why don't you take your head out of your ass long enough to look around? You might find that we have more in common than you think, but you're too pigheaded for that. You know what? I don't even care anymore." She walked away then, not looking back at him once.

Spike stared after her in shock, realizing that there was a lot he really didn't know about her.

* * *

"You are a real piece of work, B. I was impressed with your speech to my idiot brother earlier today." 

Buffy stared at Faith. "I guess you heard that."

She nodded. "It was hard to miss. You did yell at him in the middle of the hallway. I have to say, you're definitely not what I expected."

Buffy looked down for a moment. "He wasn't completely wrong. I used to be like that. I used to idolize Cordelia and hoped to be just like her. I wanted to be the popular cheerleader that got all of the boys."

"So, why did that change?"

Buffy thought about it. "It just didn't seem important anymore. It wasn't what I wanted. I don't even know what I want. I just know that it's not cheerleading. I'm not the airhead your brother thinks I am."

Faith nodded again. "Yeah, I can see that. He'll realize it soon enough. Spike likes to put on this tough guy act, but he has a good heart. He just doesn't always know when to shut up."

Buffy laughed. "I already figured that out."

"A lot of this is hard for him. It's probably harder on him than any of us. I know I hated this whole idea in the beginning, but it's not so bad now. Joyce is pretty cool."

Buffy agreed. "Yeah, she has her moments."

Faith decided to keep herself busy and browsed through Buffy's music collection after getting the other girl's permission. She had to admit that she was pretty impressed. "Damn, you like a lot of the same stuff that Spike does. I don't even care for half of the crap he listens to."

Buffy shrugged. "I guess I'm not one of a kind anymore."

"Wow, you would probably be perfect for him. You know, if he wasn't your step-brother and all."

Buffy was clearly not expecting that. She could never picture herself dating Spike. Not that it would ever happen. Like Faith said, he was her step-brother now. They may not be blood related, but it was still wrong. She just kept trying to convince herself of that.

* * *

"_You know this isn't wrong, don't you? There's nothing wrong with what we're about to do," he whispered to her._

"_I don't know if we should."_

_Spike pressed a soft kiss to her lips and gently lay her down on the bed. "That's what makes it exciting. I know you want me, Buffy. You can't deny that."_

"_I do want you, but I'm scared of what might happen. They would never understand."_

_He placed his finger on her lips. "They won't have to know, not until we're both ready. You have to let yourself feel again. I know you're scared, but you don't have to be. I'm right here; I wouldn't let anything happen to you."_

_Buffy nodded and finally gave in._

_Spike smiled and kissed her again, slipping his tongue into her mouth. He slowly moved on top of her. "I know that everything will work out. We're meant to be together, Buffy. It was about time you realized that."_

_

* * *

_  
Buffy woke up with a start, taking a deep breath. She could feel the sweat dripping off of her forehead.

"Buffy, are you okay?"

She turned to look at Dawn. "Yeah, I just had a bad dream. Go back to sleep."

She seemed to be satisfied with that answer and did just that.

Buffy took another breath before she lay back down. "It was just a dream, just brain trash courtesy of Faith," she mumbled, repeating the words over in her head until she fell asleep again.

It was a long time coming.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Buffy didn't know how to act around Spike after the dream she had a few nights ago. She tried to avoid him as best she could, but it wasn't easy with him living in her house.

"Buffy, what are you doing?"

She was pulled out of her reverie at the sound of Cordelia's voice. She then looked down and noticed that she spilled her orange juice all over the kitchen table. "Sorry, wasn't paying attention."

"That's pretty obvious. What has you so distracted? It's a boy, isn't it?" she replied excitedly.

Buffy shook her head adamantly. "No, there's no boy. It's nothing. I'm just worried about a test that's coming up. I should actually be studying right now." She then ran out of the kitchen and headed upstairs, leaving Cordelia to stare after her in confusion.

* * *

"You should really give her a chance. She's not so bad." 

Spike stared at Faith in shock. "Have you been abducted or something? You were the one that hated this whole thing from the start. Now you're saying I should start making friends with them? Not bloody likely."

Faith rolled her eyes. "It probably wouldn't kill you. I'm just saying that you should at least give Buffy a chance. She may end up surprising you."

He still wasn't convinced. "Somehow I doubt that."

Faith grinned and then pulled out her secret weapon from her back pocket. "I found this in Buffy's underwear drawer."

Spike's jaw practically dropped when he saw the black lingerie that his sister was holding. He couldn't imagine Buffy ever wearing something like that. He started to get turned on by the thought of her in it, but quickly banished those thoughts. "That doesn't mean anything. Just because she has it, doesn't mean she actually wears it."

Faith shrugged and was about to put the lingerie back into her pocket, but Spike snatched it out of her hands.

"I'll just hold on to that. You shouldn't be going through her things, anyway."

Faith shook her head, but couldn't keep the smile off of her face. "I think I just proved that you can never tell what someone's like from just looking on the outside."

Spike watched as Faith walked away, wondering when his sister got to be so smart.

* * *

Buffy couldn't concentrate on studying when she got to her room. She needed something to get her mind off of Spike. She smiled when she got an idea and went to her closet, taking her guitar out. She went back over to her bed, relieved to finally have the room to herself. She hasn't played in a while, but it would definitely take her mind off of everything.

* * *

Spike headed upstairs for some much needed rest. He suddenly felt extremely exhausted. He stopped when he heard soft music coming from inside Buffy's room. He wasn't normally a nosy person, but couldn't resist finding out what it was. He opened her door a crack and peered inside. He was stunned when he saw Buffy sitting on her bed and playing a guitar. He was even more stunned by how good she was. Spike didn't know if he should make his presence known and just watched her for a bit longer. He decided that he would leave, when a beautiful singing voice stopped him. She had an amazing tone to her voice. He was mesmerized and continued to watch her, not knowing what else to do.

* * *

Buffy stopped suddenly when she noticed that her door was open. She had a feeling about who was probably lurking outside her room. 

"You can come in."

Spike cursed under his breath, realizing that he was caught. He just pushed the door open and stepped into the room.

"You know, this whole spying on me thing is really creepy."

He ran his fingers through his hair, unexpectedly feeling nervous. "I was going to my room when I heard you playing. You're really good, love. I never would have expected that from you."

She shrugged and put her guitar down. "It's just a thing. I get bored easily."

Spike didn't believe that for a second. He could tell how much she loved it. "It looked like more than that. Have you been playing long?"

"Depends, do you think six years is long?"

He nodded. "I would say so, especially when you're sixteen."

"I've actually been playing since I was three, but it was just a little toy guitar that my mom got for me. I wouldn't really count that." She smiled as she relived one of her favorite memories, surprised that she was actually talking to him about it. "My dad used to be an incredible musician. He sang, played the guitar, the piano, the saxophone. I don't think there was anything he couldn't do. I remember he took me to a club that he was performing at when I was nine. I was the only one in the family that was really interested in music, so he knew I would love it. I remember being so excited when I saw him walk out on stage for the first time. I was sitting in the front with a few of his friends. He looked right at me and dedicated the first song to his number one fan. That's what he would always call me. It was like everything else faded away when he started to play the guitar. I was so amazed and proud that he was my dad. I knew then that it was something I wanted to do. It was about a year after that when I finally convinced my mom to get me a real guitar. I used to play around the house all the time because I loved it, but I mostly wanted to aggravate Cordelia," she finished, laughing through the tears that were once again in her eyes. She quickly forced them back and looked away from his intense stare. "Sorry, didn't mean to share so much."

Spike shook his head and sat down next to her on the bed. "I don't mind it. It's nice that you were so close to him."

Buffy nodded and glanced back at him. "Are we actually having a moment here?"

He broke eye contact with her. "We can't have that now. It's a lot more fun to drive you crazy."

She rolled her eyes. "Please, I'm the one that drives you crazy."

"Well, I can't argue with you there," he whispered, leaning closer to her.

Buffy's breath caught in her throat when she noticed that his gaze was now on her lips.

The door to the room suddenly burst open.

They both quickly moved away from each other.

"Oops, didn't know anyone was in here. Did I interrupt something?"

Buffy shook her head and stood up.

Spike followed her lead.

"You really need to learn how to knock, Dawn."

The younger girl crossed her arms over her chest. "It's my room, too." She moved over to Buffy's bed and saw the guitar lying on the floor. "Cool, were you playing again? You haven't done that in a while."

Buffy ignored Dawn and grabbed her by the shoulders, shoving her out of the room. "Come back later," she said and closed the door in her sister's face. She could hear Dawn stomping down the stairs, probably going to squeal on her. "God, younger sisters are such a pain."

Spike smiled. "I hear you on that one. At least you don't have any younger brothers. Connor is a bloody thorn in my side. I love the kid, of course. He's just always following me around and wanting to be like me. It's really annoying."

"And you love every second of it."

"Yeah, I really do," he replied, not being able to get anything by her. Spike realized that she was really an amazing person and he had no right to judge her like he did when they first met. He was determined to find out all he could about her, including why she decided to stop playing the guitar.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Buffy picked up her guitar and stored it back in her closet.

Spike was avidly watching her.

Buffy turned around and caught his staring. "What?" she wondered.

He just shook his head. "Why don't you play as much as you used to? I can tell you really love it."

Buffy shrugged and sat back down on her bed. "It's not that important anymore." She let out a sigh when she noticed the expression on his face. "It's really not a big deal. It's just a hobby that I had when I was younger. It doesn't mean anything to me now."

"I find that really hard to believe. You have a real gift here. I think your father would have wanted you to continue with it."

Her look suddenly grew cold. "You don't know anything about my father, okay? You don't even know anything about me. I don't want to talk about this anymore."

Spike nodded, knowing that they would come back to the conversation another time. If he had anything to say about it. He just decided to change the subject. "So, what was that about at school today?"

Buffy instantly knew what he was referring to. "Oh, that was Parker. He was one of my biggest mistakes. We were seeing each other for a few months, but things didn't really work out. I found out that he was cheating on me, so I ended it. He hasn't been able to leave me alone since. He keeps giving me crap about how much we're meant to be together. If I had a nickel for every time he fed me one of his tired lines, I would be rich by now. He's such a loser; I don't even know why I put up with him for as long as I did. So, I told him that I was only using him for sex to hide the fact that I was a little hurt. He wasn't too happy about that, but I'm hardly scared of him. He's basically all talk," she explained, surprised that she actually confessed more to Spike. She realized that he was pretty easy to talk to.

Spike was stunned by what she said, but his mind focused on the last part. "So, you're not a virgin then."

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "No, did you think I was?"

He threw his hands up in the air. "Yeah, you're only sixteen. Bloody hell, you're nothing like I expected at all."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Is that a bad thing? I'm sure none of us are what you expected. I was starting to think that you weren't such a jerk, but maybe I was wrong about that. If you even think about calling me a slut because of what I just confessed to you…"

He cut her off. "No, of course not. I don't think that. I was just taken by surprise. I'm usually not wrong about people, but I suppose there's a first time for everything. I was just thinking that you were this cute, bubbly cheerleader when we first met. I stand corrected."

Buffy pouted at his choice of words. "I am cute," she mumbled.

Spike had to smile. "Bloody adorable," he replied, not thinking much about it.

Buffy was taken aback by that and could tell that Spike was equally as surprised, but she didn't feel like getting into it. "Why would you be shocked about me not being a virgin? This is the twenty-first century. A lot of kids are having sex at ages younger than me. Come on, how old were you when you lost your virginity? I mean, you're only two years older than me."

Spike suddenly felt nervous. He was hoping she wouldn't ask that.

Buffy noticed the look on his face and could sense what the problem was, but she was finding it very hard to believe. "You're still a virgin, aren't you?"

He knew there was no point in denying it. "Yes, I'm still a bloody virgin. Are you happy now? It's not something I usually like to broadcast."

Buffy stood up and moved closer to him. "It's really nothing to be ashamed of. I'm just a bit amazed. You don't seem like you would have trouble in that area."

He shook his head. "Believe it or not, I wasn't always like this. I used to have a lot of problems with girls. You can make fun of me all you want, but I plan on being in love before I ever think about that."

The shock was evident on her face now, but it just made her respect him even more. "That's really great, Spike. I honestly wish I would have waited. My first time was not exactly the stuff that dreams are made of. I would give anything to take it back."

Spike saw the pain on her face and wondered about what happened. He took a deep breath before asking his next question. "Were you forced?"

Buffy looked away from him, not able to answer that. "We should probably get downstairs now. They'll think something's going on if we stay in here any longer." She opened the door and walked out of the room, without waiting for a response.

Spike knew there was more that she wasn't telling him. He was more determined than ever to find out all he could about his new step-sister.

* * *

Buffy stopped suddenly when she entered the living room. She saw Cordelia openly making out on the couch with a dark haired man. She slowly backed away from the scene, only to bump into someone behind her. She turned around to see that it was Spike. She then grabbed his arm and pulled him into the kitchen, grateful that no one else was around. 

Spike could see the fear in her eyes now. "What's wrong?"

She wasn't sure about what to tell him. "I'm fine; I just didn't want them to see me."

Spike obviously didn't believe that, but he remained quiet about it. He looked down to notice that Buffy's hand was still on his arm, and it was shaking like a leaf. He then noticed that her eyes were focused on the entrance to the kitchen just as Cordelia and the man walked in.

"Shouldn't you be upstairs? I was hoping Angel and I could have some privacy. I know that it's too much to ask for in this house."

Buffy only nodded.

Spike noticed that her grip got tighter on his arm.

The phone rang all of a sudden and Cordelia went to answer it.

Buffy grew even paler once she left.

Angel leered at her. "Hey, Buffy. It's nice seeing you again."

She backed up into Spike's chest, not saying anything to the man.

Cordelia came back into the kitchen a few seconds later. "Stupid wrong number." She noticed the expression on her sister's face. "What's with you?"

Buffy finally broke out of whatever trance she was in. "Nothing, I have more studying to do." She quickly left the kitchen, not making any eye contact with them.

Cordelia was confused and turned her attention on Spike. "Hey, take him with you!" she yelled after her sister.

Spike glared at the cheerleader, then followed after Buffy.

Cordelia shook her head and looked back at Angel. "Finally, we're alone again."

He smiled and planted a kiss on her lips. Cordelia was a great girl, but his thoughts remained on the petite blonde that was trying to avoid him. She couldn't stay away forever, Angel would see to that.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Okay, you care to tell me what that was all about?"

Buffy shrugged when they got back to her room. "It was nothing. I just didn't know he would be here."

Spike raised his eyebrows. "Well, he is your sister's boyfriend."

She rolled her eyes. "Please, he's not her boyfriend. He goes to UC Sunnydale and they only see each other on some weekends to practically make out, but that's about it. They're not really dating. Cordy says she's okay with that little arrangement, but I can tell she wants more with him. He's just not really a one girl kinda guy."

"All right, but what was with your reaction to him? I don't know you all that well, but I've never seen you look terrified before. That Parker bloke slams you into a locker and you hardly even flinch, but there was something in your eyes that showed you were scared of Angel."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "I wasn't scared. I just don't really like him. I know how to handle Parker. He's hardly anyone to worry about."

Spike knew there was more to it than that, but he didn't comment anymore about the subject. "Right, I'll let you get back to your studying then," he told her, then left the room.

* * *

Spike was tossing and turning all night. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't manage to fall asleep. He sighed and threw the covers off of his body. He just lay there staring up at the ceiling, his mind wandering back to the conversation he had with Buffy earlier. There was something going on that she wasn't telling him. He was more determined than ever to find out what it was. He didn't even know why he cared, but there was just something different about her. 

He was ripped from his thoughts at the sound of a loud scream. He instantly knew it was Buffy and jumped out of bed, making his way towards her bedroom. He entered the room to see that she was thrashing in bed.

Faith and Dawn were trying to calm her, but she wouldn't respond to them.

Spike made his way over to her side and grabbed her flailing arms. "Buffy, wake up! You're just having a bad dream!"

"No!" she yelled, her eyes still shut tight.

Spike took a risk and pulled her into his arms. He felt her start to awaken and calm down a little.

Buffy then burst into tears and clinged to him.

He ran his fingers down her back to sooth her. "It's okay, it was only a dream."

Joyce came into the room and immediately went to Buffy's side.

Spike handed the frightened girl over to her mother, even though he didn't want to let her go. He then noticed that everyone else was awake and now in the room to see what the commotion was all about.

Buffy was crying in Joyce's shoulder, the older woman trying to comfort her daughter as best she could.

Spike could vaguely hear Buffy whispering something. He leaned closer to get a better listen. His heart felt like breaking at her words.

"I want Daddy," she said repeatedly.

Joyce started to rock Buffy back and forth. "I know you do, baby. It's going to be okay."

Giles then ushered everyone else out of the room to give mother and daughter some privacy.

It pained Spike to have to leave her side, but he just followed after everyone else.

* * *

They were all sitting downstairs lost in thought. No one knew what to say. 

Cordelia was the first one to speak up. "Buffy used to be excited about everything. She hardly ever got upset. She wanted to be a cheerleader like me because we always had such good spirit. She thought it looked like fun, but a part of her died along with our dad. It's like she just gave up on everything. She used to always get nightmares after his death, but then they started to go away. She hasn't had one in about five months, until now."

Giles cleared his throat. "Yes, do you know what could have triggered it?"

She shook her head and didn't say anything else about it.

Dawn spoke after a moment of silence. "I saw her guitar out of the closet. I think she was playing again. She hasn't done that since Daddy…" Her voice trailed off. She took a deep breath before continuing. "I…I think maybe it brought back some memories."

Joyce suddenly made her way downstairs.

They all turned their attention on her now.

"Buffy finally managed to go back to sleep. I think we should all do the same."

They agreed and headed back upstairs.

Joyce reached her husband's side and grasped his hand. "Oh, Rupert. I don't know what could have happened. I have never seen Buffy like that before. I thought she was getting better."

Giles put his arm around the distraught woman and helped her up the stairs. "I'm sure she'll be fine, Joyce. We just need to give her time."

Joyce agreed and let him take the lead. She really hoped her daughter would be okay.

* * *

Tara entered Buffy's room the next day to find her sitting up in bed. It was about time that she had a talk with her sister. 

"How are you doing?" she asked to make conversation.

Buffy only shrugged. "I'm fine; it wasn't really a big deal. I didn't mean to freak everyone out."

Tara nodded and sat down on the edge of Buffy's bed. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head. "It was just a dream. I don't even really remember it."

Tara wasn't convinced. "I think you would remember a dream that had you reacting like that. I know Angel was over here yesterday. Did it have something to do with him?"

Buffy looked away. "It was just a dream," she mumbled.

Tara took her younger sister's hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. "Buffy, you have to tell them. You've kept this inside for over a year now. It's about time they knew the truth."

Buffy glanced back up at her, quickly shaking her head. "I can't tell them. They wouldn't understand. You're the only one that knows, Tara. You can't say anything."

Tara let out a sigh. "I've been keeping this secret for too long, Buffy. I won't say anything because it's not my place to, but they have a right to know. If only seeing him again causes you to have nightmares, then there's no telling what would happen next time."

"I've been so good at staying away from him. I just have to keep it up for a little while longer. Cordy said he was going away to New York for the summer. He might not even come back. I'll be okay."

Tara wouldn't believe that, but she decided to let it go. She knew talking about it would only upset Buffy more, but she wasn't going to give up. Angel hurt her sister and he was going to get what was coming to him. She wasn't about to let him hurt Cordelia, too.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The Giles-Summers clan all headed to the pool that weekend. It was extremely hot outside. They wanted to relax and cool off after a tiring week.

Joyce never cared to have a pool in her backyard. Her children were too young when they moved into the house. She didn't think it would be a good idea, so they had to go to the public pool.

She sat in one of the lounge chairs, with Rupert next to her. They were just watching the kids in the distance, happy to see that everyone was starting to get along better.

* * *

Spike hated the sun. He was always more of a night person, which could be why he was so pale. He decided it wouldn't kill him for once to try and get a tan. He stripped himself of his clothes, so he was in nothing but his swim trunks. He would jump in the water later, but right now, he just wanted to lay back and rest for a while. His arm was draped over his eyes to shield them from the bright sunlight. He cursed himself for not bringing his sunglasses with him. 

"Hey, care for some company?"

Spike looked up to see Buffy standing over him. "Always for you," he said with a wink, delighted in the fact that it brought a blush to her cheeks. He didn't even know why he was flirting with the chit. It wasn't something he planned on making a habit of, but it just seemed natural with her.

Buffy sat down in the lounge chair next to him. "How come you're not in the water?"

He shrugged. "I just needed a few minutes of rest. Didn't get much sleep last night."

Buffy nodded in understanding. She stood up and removed her shirt, then her skirt and sandals.

Spike gulped at the sight of her in a tight, black bikini. He figured she would be in a two piece. It was like she was secretly trying to torture him, but she didn't seem to notice the affect it had on him.

"God, it's so hot out here. This has to be the hottest day that Sunnydale has ever had."

Spike nodded and tried to think of something to say to that. "Yeah, bloody hot," he replied as his eyes remained on her.

She just smiled and held out a bottle to him. "Could you put some on my back?"

Spike noticed that it was a bottle of sunscreen. He only nodded and sat up, taking the lotion from her.

She turned around and revealed her smooth back to his gaze.

Spike took in a deep breath and squirted some of the lotion onto his hands. He realized they were shaking as he went to rub her back and shoulders.

Buffy flinched a little at his touch.

"Did I hurt you?" he wondered.

She shook her head. "No, it's just cold."

Spike nodded again and continued to rub the lotion into her skin. He let out a sigh once he was finished. "Okay, you're all done."

Buffy turned back around and took the sunscreen from him. "Thanks," she said with a smile.

He smiled in return and lay back down.

Buffy then rubbed the lotion on the rest of her body.

Spike couldn't help being mesmerized by the display. He had to try not to moan when she rubbed her stomach. He just lay his head back and shut his eyes tight. He couldn't watch her anymore without having an urge to pounce on her right there. He didn't think their parents would have appreciated that.

* * *

"_Bloody hell, you're driving me insane."_

_She giggled and continued to trail kisses down his neck. "I love what I do to you, knowing that no other woman ever made you feel this good."_

_Spike shook his head. "No one else ever could. You're the only one, Buffy. I knew that the moment I first saw you. It doesn't bother me that our parents are married. I couldn't imagine my life without you in it."_

_She stopped to stare up at him. "I feel the same way. We're not doing anything wrong. You can't help who you fall in love with."_

_

* * *

_  
Spike awoke with a start and glanced around at his surroundings. He noticed that he was still at the pool. He also realized that Buffy was no longer next to him and looked down at his watch to see that only a half an hour went by. He decided to worry about the dream later and made his way over to the water. The heat was really starting to get to him.

* * *

"Are you stalking me now, Parker? That's really pathetic." 

He glared at her. "I wouldn't bother stalking you. This is a public area. You just happened to be here."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Well, I do live nearby. Last time I checked, you didn't."

Parker thought of something quick to say. "I met someone that lives around here. She said that she might be going for a swim today. Yeah, she swims all the time. She's one of those real athletic chicks. Really hot, too. You could probably learn something from her."

Buffy didn't believe his lame excuse. She just wanted him to get the hint that they were over, but at the moment, she just wanted to get away from him. "Whatever, have fun with your new conquest. I'll be going now."

He once again grabbed her arm, not letting her get away that easily. "Come on, Buff. I know you didn't believe my little story. You knew I would be showing up here eventually. Why else would you wear that if not to impress me?" he said, looking her up and down.

Buffy laughed. "Newsflash, I don't spend my time thinking about you. Why would I bother when there are much better men out there? You're just weak, Parker. I felt sorry for you, but I'm done now. Get this through your thick skull; I could never want anything to do with you again. Now, get out of my way."

Parker was outraged. He wouldn't let some little slut talk to him like that. He grabbed her shoulders and almost caused her to slip.

Buffy noticed they were standing pretty close to the edge of the pool, but he didn't seem to care.

"You listen to me, bitch," he started in a surprisingly calm voice. "The only reason I ever wanted anything to do with you in the first place was because of my brother. He goes to UC Sunnydale and told me about how his roommate scored with you. That you're an easy lay and would put out for anyone. I decided to see if he was right, and guess what? He was right. We didn't even date for a week before you were giving it up to me, but then you started to get boring. Why else do you think I moved on to Kathy? I kept you around for my own amusement, but I'll be damned if I'm going to let you end this. If anyone's getting dumped, it'll be you. I still have a reputation to maintain here. Get that through your thick skull," he finished, repeating the words that she said earlier.

Buffy had enough and shoved him away from her, not showing how much his words hurt.

Parker was stronger and ended up pushing her back a little too hard.

She lost her balance and fell into the water, hitting her head on the edge of the pool.

Parker's eyes widened when he saw what happened. "Buffy!" he yelled and caused a lot of heads to turn in his direction. He didn't know what to do, when a blur of bleached blond pushed him out of the way and dived in after her.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Spike hauled Buffy out of the pool and placed her carefully on the ground. He saw that she had a wound on her head that was leaking blood, and that she wasn't breathing. A crowd started to form around them, but Spike hardly noticed. His thoughts remained only on Buffy. He then tilted her head back and pinched her nose. He touched her lips with his and blew deep breaths into her.

"Come back to me, love," he whispered and repeated his actions. There was still no change. He then placed his hands over her chest and pushed down, trying not to do it too hard. He did that a few times and breathed more air into her lungs.

Buffy suddenly gained consciousness and coughed up water.

Spike smiled in relief and gently hit her on the back.

There were cheers from the others around them.

Spike finally looked up to notice that they had an audience.

Joyce ran over to them and kneeled down beside her daughter. She wrapped her arms around Buffy and held her tight. "Oh, baby, you had me so worried."

Buffy didn't know what to say and returned her mother's embrace.

"She okay?"

Spike stood up and glared at the boy that spoke. Without thinking much about it, he pulled back his fist and punched him right in the face.

Parker stumbled back and held his now bleeding nose.

Giles tried to calm his son down, but Spike hardly paid attention.

"You stay the hell away from her, you got that?"

Parker only nodded and walked away, still holding his nose.

Spike turned back to see that Joyce was helping Buffy up, keeping an arm around the girl.

Joyce looked right into Spike's eyes. "Thank you," she told him.

He just gave her a small smile in response.

Joyce took Buffy out of there and headed to the hospital to make sure that everything was okay.

The rest of the family followed behind her after they witnessed what happened.

Giles gave Spike a pat on the back. "You did well, William."

Spike nodded and was really grateful that he paid attention to the CPR course during Health class at his old school. The thought of losing Buffy had him terrified and he didn't understand it, but Spike had a feeling that he was about to.

* * *

"Mom, I'm fine. It's just a little cut and the doctor said I don't have a concussion or anything." 

Joyce continued to make Buffy more comfortable. "You can never be too careful, honey. I want you to stay in bed and rest."

Buffy sighed and decided to give up.

They heard a throat being cleared in the doorway and turned to see Spike standing there.

Joyce smiled at him. "You can come in, William. You are a hero, after all."

Spike blushed and stepped into the bedroom.

Joyce could tell that he wanted to talk to Buffy, so she left the room to give them some privacy.

He moved closer to her bed and thought about what to say. "How are you feeling?"

Buffy shrugged. "Not so bad, my head just hurts a little." She sat up and patted the spot next to her.

Spike took that as his cue and sat down.

She took a deep breath. "I didn't get a chance to earlier because I was kinda out of it, but I wanted to thank you for what you did."

He found himself blushing again, but shrugged it off. "It wasn't a big deal."

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "You saved my life, Spike. I think that would be a big deal. I probably wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for you. I'm sure Parker wouldn't have bothered to jump in after me. He would have hated to get his hair wet." She tried a joke to make the situation lighter, but a dark expression formed on Spike's face.

"If I see that wanker anywhere near you again, I won't be held responsible for what I do."

Buffy was stunned by the anger she heard in his voice. "You seem pretty protective all of a sudden."

Spike thought of what to say to that. "Well, you're my sister now. I would have done the same thing for Faith, Dru, and Fred. I would have even done it for Dawn, Tara, and Cordelia. We're family now, as much as that pains me to admit," he said with a grin.

Buffy rolled her eyes, but there was a hint of a smile on her face. "Well, for whatever reason you did it, thank you."

He gave her a genuine smile now. "You're welcome, but you were wrong about that bloke being all talk. I think you should watch out for him. I don't know if he took my threat seriously."

"Trust me, he won't bother me again. I'm not worried about him anymore."

Spike nodded and hoped that she was right.

Buffy's thoughts soon took a different turn. No, she didn't worry about Parker anymore. She now had someone else to worry about. Someone that frightened her more than Parker ever could.

* * *

Spike walked the halls of school and kept a look out for Parker. He would seriously damage the prat if he got anywhere near Buffy. The protectiveness he felt for her went further than him just looking out for a sister. He just didn't quite know what it was yet. 

"Blondie Bear!"

Spike groaned at the screech that came from behind him. "Oh, bloody hell," he mumbled.

"I was hoping that was you, Spikey. If you're not doing anything tonight, maybe we could hang out or something."

Spike rolled his eyes and really wished the bint would take a hint. "Harmony, for the final time, not if you were the last woman on earth. I'm still new here and you make a habit of bothering me every chance you get. I would never be interested in you."

Harmony didn't even look offended. "Is that because Cordy's my friend and she's like your sister now? It wouldn't make things weird with us, if that's what you're worried about."

Spike could definitely feel a headache coming on. "I can honestly tell you that has nothing to do with it. You're just not my type." He figured that was nice enough. The chit may have irritated the hell out of him, but he didn't really want to hurt her feelings.

She thought about it for a moment, then her eyes lit up. "Oh, I get it. You're gay, aren't you? It makes so much sense now."

His eyes bulged at her implication. "What? I'm not bloody gay!"

"It's okay, Spikey. I won't tell anyone. I mean, that would have to be the reason. I'm one of the most popular girls in school; guys just don't turn me down. We'll find you someone nice. Oh, how about Andrew in Science class? I think he has a crush on you."

Spike groaned again and banged his head against the nearest locker door, which didn't help with his headache. He then heard laughter nearby and glanced up to see Buffy heading in their direction.

"Why does he have to be gay, Harmony? Did you think that maybe he doesn't want anything to do with you because you're a flakey twit? I mean, that would make more sense to me," she said with a smile.

Harmony glared at her. "This doesn't concern you, freak."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "It does when it bothers my brother." She cringed at the thought of saying that word. For some reason, she couldn't see Spike as her brother, but wasn't about to say that now. "Why don't you go find someone else that's actually desperate? There are a lot of losers in this school, it shouldn't be too hard."

Harmony didn't even care to respond. She just scowled at Buffy and stomped away.

Buffy shuddered and looked back at Spike. "And that's what you thought I was like? Hell would have to freeze over first."

He laughed and put his arm around her. "You're definitely something, Summers."

Buffy smiled at the comment and walked away with him. She noticed that he didn't even remove his arm.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Buffy headed downstairs the next day, feeling a lot better. She made her way into the kitchen and stopped at the sight of Angel standing there. She gasped and backed away.

He looked up and caught her, a huge grin forming on his face. He moved fast and grabbed her before she could leave. "Now, where do you think you're going?"

Buffy struggled in his grip. "Let go of me!" she yelled.

Angel did as she said because he didn't want to draw any attention to them. Cordelia could come back at any moment, but he still didn't move out of her way. "We are going to talk, sweetheart. You can't run away whenever you see me. Cordy's sweet and all, but she doesn't really do it for me. The only reason I'm with her is because I figured it would get me closer to you. We had some good times, don't you think?" he said, running his fingers down her arms.

Buffy flinched at his touch. She couldn't believe that she used to have a crush on him. "I want you to stay away from me and my sister. You've ruined my life and I'm still having nightmares about it. I won't let you do the same thing to her."

Angel pulled her closer to him. "You know you enjoyed every second of it. You were so happy to have a college guy actually pay attention to you. If you didn't want it, you shouldn't have come to the frat party dressed like a tramp. You were just begging for it, baby."

She tried to get away from him, but he held her tighter.

"You've wanted me ever since you were a freshman, and I know you still want me. You loved everything I did to you."

Buffy shook her head, tears starting to form in her eyes. "No, I didn't want that. You took advantage of a young girl that thought you were wonderful. I thought you were everything I could ever want. You made me feel things for you that I've never felt before, but you're nothing but a monster. You raped me and didn't listen when I told you to stop. You're just lucky I never went to the police."

Angel laughed. "Right, like they would listen to some stupid high school girl. You obviously don't know how much power my father has in this town. They would believe whatever I said. You have nothing on me, little girl."

Buffy felt pure hatred surge through her. She didn't think before she acted and brought her knee up into his groin.

He groaned and finally moved away from her.

Buffy had a satisfied smile on her face now, but it quickly faded at the expression Angel was throwing her way.

"I'm going to kill you!" he exclaimed, not caring where he was anymore. He got up and charged at her, but fell back again when a fist met his face. He was stunned and knew that she couldn't have done that.

"You don't touch my sister."

Buffy has never been so relieved to see Riley in her life. He seemed to come out of nowhere. She felt even more relieved when Xander joined him.

Angel just laughed hysterically. "Well, isn't this one big happy family?" He turned his gaze on Riley. "I've seen you around campus. You've been dating Darla, right? She used to be one of mine. I hope you like leftovers because she has nothing good to offer anymore."

Riley felt like wiping the smile off of his face, but Xander held him back.

Angel then glanced at Buffy. "You can't have your bodyguards around you forever. I've always been known for getting what I want. I don't intend to stop now."

Buffy felt a fear that she never knew before. She didn't like the look he was giving her and backed up into Riley's protective embrace. She always felt safe with her brothers around.

Cordelia suddenly entered the kitchen and noticed that something wasn't right. "What's going on?" she wondered.

Angel gave her his wounded, puppy dog look. "Your brothers decided to rough me up a bit, baby. I don't even know why. All I did was be nice to them because I knew how much you would have wanted us to get along."

Cordelia was confused when she looked at Angel, then her brothers and Buffy. "Why would you guys do that?" She was about to walk over to her boyfriend, but Xander grabbed her arm.

"We can't let you near him, Cordy," he told her.

Buffy nodded and tried to get through to her sister. "He's not the great guy you think he is."

Cordelia didn't understand, but stayed where she was.

Angel had enough. He couldn't even get his so-called girlfriend on his side. "See you around," he said the last part to Buffy, then made his way out of the house.

Buffy couldn't handle her emotions anymore and burst into tears.

Riley wrapped his arms around his little sister.

She returned the gesture and cried into his chest.

Xander rubbed her back, trying to give her any comfort that he could.

Cordelia just remained confused. "Okay, what the hell just happened?"

* * *

"How could you not tell me? You just let me bring him over here like everything was okay. He could have done the same thing to me." 

Buffy nodded after she told Cordelia the truth. Riley and Xander decided to give them some time to talk alone. "I'm sorry, Cordy. I wanted to tell you, but I didn't think you would believe me. I didn't think anyone would."

Cordelia shook her head. "This is all my fault. I should have never taken you to that party with me. I knew you were too young. Now it all makes sense of where you got off to. I can't believe Angel could do this. He seemed so perfect. I guess he never really liked me. This is what I get for being involved with a college guy."

"I don't blame you for what happened. There's no way you could have known. I thought he was perfect, too. He tricked both of us and there's no telling how many other girls he hurt before. It was my fault for wanting to grow up too fast. Everything changed when Dad died. I didn't even know who I was anymore, or what I wanted to do. I made so many mistakes, but I'm done with it. The next time I get involved with a guy, I'm not just going to jump right into it. He needs to be someone that I can really trust. I'm done dealing with guys that I know would hurt me."

Cordelia nodded in understanding. "I'm right there with you." She smiled when she looked at Buffy. This was the first time they really talked in a while. She never realized just how much she missed having her sister around.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"I wish I would have been here."

Buffy shrugged off the concern that she heard in Spike's voice. "It's probably better that you weren't. We had everything under control."

He shook his head. "I would have beaten the hell out of that ponce. I didn't think it was possible to hate anyone more than Parker. Well, now it makes sense of why you were so skittish around him. I don't understand how you could have kept something like that a secret for over a year."

"It wasn't easy. Tara was the only one that knew. She always wanted me to tell, but I was afraid. I didn't want anyone to think less of me."

Spike noticed that she avoided his gaze and that just wouldn't do. He grasped her hand in his, which caused her to finally look back up at him. "What happened wasn't your fault. You were just a young girl with a crush. The bastard took advantage of that, forcing you into something that you weren't ready for. He's the one with the problem, not you. I'm sorry you had to go through that." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You're truly amazing, you know that? The things you do and say. Drive me bloody crazy without even realizing it, unless you're trying to make me crazy."

Buffy smiled. "Farthest thing from my mind."

Spike smiled as well. "Yeah, that's what I figured." He took a deep breath before continuing. "I've never been very good around girls. Believe it or not, I used to be a nervous schoolboy. I couldn't talk to a chit to save my life, but I feel comfortable with you. Why do you suppose that is?"

Buffy shrugged. "I guess I just bring that out in people. I can be pretty easy to talk to."

Spike agreed. "That must be it. I would usually be stuttering around a beautiful girl. Even with the changed image, I can still get like that. I would think of ways to write them bloody awful poetry," he finished, surprised that he confessed his deepest secret to her.

Buffy's mind was elsewhere.

He tilted his head and wondered what she was thinking about. "Did I lose you somewhere?"

Buffy broke out of her thoughts and gave him a somewhat embarrassed smile. "Right around beautiful."

Spike couldn't believe that would be a shock for her to hear. "Come on, you know you're bloody gorgeous."

Buffy smiled bigger at the compliment. "It's still nice to hear."

Spike noticed that she suddenly seemed shy and it just made him want her all the more. He wanted to know everything about this girl. He wanted to protect her and not just in a brother way. No, he definitely couldn't see her as a sister. Not with the thoughts that were currently in his mind whenever he was around her. He had a feeling that this would be the one girl to bring William back out.

* * *

"Hello, earth to Spike. Are you still in there?" 

Spike came back to reality at the sound of Faith's voice. "Sorry, did you say something?"

She rolled her eyes. "You stare at her any harder and your eyes will fall out."

Spike's cheeks heated up.

Faith couldn't believe the sight before her. "Are you actually blushing?"

It was another scorching day in Sunnydale and they were all hanging in the backyard, running around in the sprinklers.

Buffy was once again in a bikini and Spike couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"Could it be that my brother is in love?"

That comment caught Spike off guard. "What? No, I'm not. I wasn't even watching her. I saw a bird fly above. I was just watching that."

Faith could have laughed at his lame excuse. "Yeah, sure you were. I know I told you to give Buffy a chance, but I didn't think you would have fallen for her. I suppose stranger things have happened."

"It's not like that, Faith. We're just friends."

She nodded. "Well, I suppose you wouldn't call her your sister."

Spike cringed at the way she made it sound. "You think I'm disgusting, don't you?"

Faith shook her head. "Of course I don't think that. Buffy's not actually related to you."

Spike took a deep breath. "I know that, but others will still see her as my sister. Dad and Joyce would definitely not understand, but I can't stop thinking about her." He sighed at the sound of Buffy's laughter in the distance and continued to stare at her. "How do you know when you're in love?"

Faith was clearly not expecting that. "How the hell should I know? I'll be lucky if I ever find it."

Spike glanced at her. "You will find it. There's bound to be someone out there crazy enough for you."

She smacked him playfully on the arm.

Spike laughed and gazed back at Buffy. "Bloody hell, I've never seen anything so beautiful in my life."

Faith rolled her eyes again. Yeah, he had it bad. She decided to have some fun with him. "I think I might have to agree with you there, big brother. If I was a lesbian, I would definitely want a piece of that."

Spike groaned and buried his face in his hands. "Thanks so much for that."

"You know, most guys love the idea of girl on girl action."

That got another groan out of him. "Not when it's my sister and the girl I have feelings for. That's an image I didn't need." His breath caught in his throat when he saw that Buffy was headed in their direction.

She gave them a huge smile. "How come you guys aren't out there? It's way too hot to just be sitting around," she said, ringing the water out of her hair.

Faith could see the affect that little display had on her brother. "It's oddly not that hot out for me. I'll mess around in the sprinklers later, and we know how much Spike loves his pasty skin. The sun he got at the pool nearly killed him."

He glared at her.

Buffy only nodded. "Okay, I'll just see you inside then."

Spike watched her walk away and let out another sigh. He turned his attention back on Faith, suddenly looking more serious. "What am I going to do?"

Faith didn't know the answer to that. She wanted her brother to be happy, but had a feeling that things were just going to get worse. You couldn't fall in love with your step-sister and not have consequences to deal with. She just hoped that everything would work out for him.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

A few weeks went by and Buffy was relieved that she hasn't seen much of Parker. She just prayed that Angel would also leave her alone. She wanted the rest of the school year to go by smoothly, but figured that might be too much to ask for. She groaned when she spotted Parker in the distance, knowing that her good mood was about to deflate. She then felt pure anger when she noticed who he was hitting on, and making crude comments to in the process. She stomped over to them.

"You never know when to quit, do you?"

He paled when he noticed her. "I was just having some fun with the freaky girl. Nothing to get bent out of shape over."

Buffy stepped closer and got in his face. "The 'freaky girl' as you seem to call her happens to be my step-sister. If you think Spike was pissed by what happened to me, then it'll be nothing compared to what would happen if he finds out you've been messing with his actual sister."

Parker gulped and actually had a look of fear on his face at the thought of dealing with Spike again. He held his hands up in surrender. "All right, I'm gone." He then turned and headed in the other direction.

Buffy rolled her eyes at how easy that was, then focused her attention on the other girl. "You okay, Drusilla?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I am now. Thanks, that guy was a real jerk."

Buffy agreed. "You're singing my song now. I wouldn't worry too much about him."

"I can understand why my brother is so taken with you. He thinks highly of you, Buffy."

She was clearly stunned by that statement. "Spike told you that?"

Drusilla shook her head. "He didn't have to," she said, then walked away.

Buffy just stared after her in shock.

* * *

"Is this seat taken?" 

Spike smiled up at her. "Do you even need to ask?"

Buffy shook her head and sat down next to him at the lunch table. "Why are you over here by yourself?"

He shrugged. "Faith's over there snogging with some new bloke that she met. I would rather be far away from it."

Buffy laughed and noticed that Faith was engaged in a heated liplock with Charles Gunn. Her eyes widened at that revelation. "Hey, I went out with him before."

"Who haven't you gone out with?"

She slapped his arm. "It was only the one time and we felt really weird afterwards. It's good that he's getting along so well with Faith. He's actually a pretty decent guy."

Spike was relieved to hear that.

Buffy turned her eyes away and looked at a table in front of her. "Um, why is Harmony giving me the evil eye?"

Spike shook his head. "I don't think she likes that you're sitting with me. Let's really give her something to stare at." He put his arm around Buffy and flashed the cheerleader a bright smile.

Buffy laughed at the look of rage that crossed her face. "You do realize that people will probably talk?"

Spike shrugged. "Yeah, this is me not caring," he told her.

Buffy smiled and wished that she could be that confident.

He removed his arm when Harmony got up and left the cafeteria.

Buffy frowned at the loss of contact, but didn't want to think about why that mattered to her.

* * *

"I seem to be missing another CD. You wouldn't happen to know where it is, would you?" 

Buffy looked guilty. "Dawn took it?"

Spike placed his hand over his heart. "I'm shocked at you, Summers. It's not right to blame your sister like that."

Buffy rolled her eyes and pointed to her dresser. "It's over there. I was gonna give it back."

He nodded. "I'm sure you were, but we talked about this."

"Yeah, but I figured you wouldn't mind since we know each other better now."

Spike sat down next to her on the bed. "I don't really mind. It's just fun giving you a hard time. I like that you have the same taste in music. I can't tell you how many girls were repulsed when they found out what I listened to."

"Well, there's something you need to know about me, Spike. I'm not like other girls," she said with a grin.

Spike returned her smile. "Believe me, I figured that out." He found himself lost in her gaze and suddenly couldn't take it anymore. He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.

Buffy gasped in surprise, but soon started to eagerly return the kiss.

Spike pulled her closer, slipping his tongue into her mouth.

Buffy massaged his tongue with hers. She lowered her hand to feel the bulge that he seemed to have all of a sudden. It was then that she panicked and pulled away. "Wait, what are we doing? We…We can't do this," she stuttered out, which wasn't something that happened very often.

Spike tried to control his breathing before he answered. "Why not? We were doing fine."

Buffy shook her head and stood up. "You know why not, Spike. Anyone could have walked in and caught us. We can't risk that. This is wrong," she explained and didn't really believe it, but she didn't know what else to say.

Spike got up and moved over to her. "How can something that feels so right be wrong? We're not blood related, Buffy. I know everyone probably wouldn't understand at first, but I don't really care. You're worth taking the risk for."

"I really wish you wouldn't say things like that. It's hard to think straight when you're being all with the flattery."

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I think you just bring it out of me. You know how crazy I am about you, Buffy. These last few weeks only made my feelings for you grow. I know you feel something for me, too."

She nodded and took a deep breath. "I do and it has me terrified. I'm not good with relationships. How would we be able to make this work? Nothing will change the fact that our parents are married."

Spike suddenly had an idea. "We can break them up."

Buffy's jaw nearly dropped at that suggestion. "What? Are you serious?"

"Think about it, we break them up and we won't be step-siblings anymore. We can be together."

Buffy would have laughed if he didn't look so serious. "Okay, you're officially insane. We can't do that, Spike. I won't do that."

He pouted at her response. "How come?"

She tried not to let the pout affect her. "This is the first time since my dad died that I've ever seen my mom so happy. I would never do anything to ruin that. I can't believe you would even suggest it. You've seen how happy your dad is around her. I'm sorry, Spike. It's not going to happen, not even if it means us being together."

He let out a sigh. "Yeah, I figured it was a stupid thing to ask. I don't really want them to separate, but I don't know what else to do. I've never felt this way before about anyone. How am I supposed to be around you and not touch you? It would kill me."

Buffy caressed his cheek. "You did fine before. You just have to try harder. I'm sorry, but nothing can happen between us. That's just the way it has to be." She then walked out of the room, leaving Spike to stare after her in sorrow.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"Are you going to mope around all day?"

Spike groaned and turned away from Faith's pestering. He would mope if he wanted to.

Faith wouldn't have it. She jumped on Spike's bed and forced him to look at her. "You are going to get out of this room. I'll drag you if I have to. You've been brooding ever since Buffy rejected you. Dad is gonna start to think that something is seriously wrong with you."

Spike glared at her. "First of all, I don't brood. Second of all, sod off," he claimed and buried his face back in the pillow.

Faith rolled her eyes. "You're hopeless, you know that? You act like this is the end of the world or something. You had that huge crush on Cecily and eventually got over it. The bitch totally humiliated you and you didn't let it get you down for too long. There are other girls out there, Spike."

He raised his head to once again look at his sister. "I don't want another girl. I want her. I wouldn't expect for you to understand. Buffy's perfect for me. I'll never find anyone else like her. I know she feels something for me, it's not just because our parents are married. I know she's scared because she hasn't been involved with any good blokes in her life, but she has to know that I'm not like them. I would never do anything to hurt her."

"Have you told her all that?"

Spike shook his head. "I don't think she would listen. She's been avoiding me ever since we talked a few nights ago."

Faith had an idea and gave him a smile. "No problem, I can fix that," she said, then ran out of the room.

Spike just knew that she was up to no good. He worried when she got that look on her face, but he couldn't seem to care about it at the moment. His eyes bulged when he saw Faith pull Buffy into the room a couple of seconds later. He instantly sat up in his bed.

Buffy panicked when she saw Spike and tried to leave, but Faith wouldn't let her.

"I don't think so, blondie. I want my brother to be happy again, so you guys are gonna talk. I'll be outside guarding the door. No one is leaving on my watch. Not until you work this out. I'll leave you to it." She flashed them both a smile, then left the room and closed the door behind her.

Buffy looked around and tried to avoid his gaze.

Spike had enough and moved over to her. "She does have a point. We really need to talk, Buffy. If you just keep avoiding me, our parents are bound to know that something's up."

Buffy agreed. "You're right and I'm sorry I've been a pain lately. You just took me by surprise and I still don't know what to think about it. You do understand why we can't be together, right?"

He shook his head. "No, I really don't. You say it's because of our parents, but I know it's more than that. You know that what we feel for each other is not wrong. I get that you're scared, but you have to trust that I would never hurt you. I've been burned a few times myself when it comes to dating. I once wrote poetry for a girl that told me I was beneath her. It took me a while to get over that, but I managed. I promised myself that I would never put my heart on the line like that again, but you completely took me by surprise. I'm risking a lot here, but I think it's worth the risk. I think you're worth everything. I just need to know if I'm in this by myself or not."

Buffy realized that she was crying during his speech.

Spike was worried when he noticed the tears and wondered if he said something wrong, but he didn't have to wonder for long when Buffy grabbed the back of his head and smashed her lips to his. He moaned into her mouth and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

The door suddenly opened, but they were too lost in their own world to notice.

"Okay, I haven't heard anything. You two better…" Faith trailed off when she noticed the sight before her. "Well, that would explain it. I'll just be going now." She backed out of the room and shut the door, glad that her plan worked.

Spike picked Buffy up and dropped her onto his bed. He fell on top of her, never breaking contact with her lips. His hand reached under her top to caress the smooth skin that he found there. He broke away when breathing became an issue and started to trail kisses down her neck. "God, I want you," he whispered in her ear, then took the lobe into his mouth and nibbled on it.

Buffy moaned and ran her fingers over his back, but she knew everything was happening too fast. She gently pushed on his chest to get his attention.

He released her earlobe and gazed down at her flushed face. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "Nothing, I just think we need to slow down a bit. I always rushed into everything in the past. I don't want to make that mistake again. I want to do things right with you."

Spike nodded and was relieved that she didn't regret what happened between them. "I'm sorry if I got carried away. It's hard not to when I'm around you."

Buffy smiled. "I know the feeling, but we don't have to be in a hurry."

He agreed and moved off of her. "What about our parents, love? Are you still having doubts?"

She took a deep breath. "I admit that I'm still worried about what they'll think, but it doesn't matter all that much anymore. I realized that you would also be worth the risk. No one looks at me the way you do, Spike. It's like I'm the only girl in the world. I don't think I could live without that feeling."

Spike smiled shyly at her. "You never have to worry about that. And when we're ready, we'll tell our parents everything. I wouldn't expect for this to be a secret forever, but no matter what happens, I won't let you go."

"I won't either," she replied.

He gave her another smile. "That works out nicely, then. Don't worry; I have a feeling everything will work out in the end."

Buffy really prayed that he was right, but couldn't help the bad feeling that she had.


	14. Chapter 14

Sorry for the short chapter, but I decided to put it in now instead of waiting for tomorrow. For some reason, I'm having a problem with the ruler that separates the parts, so I had to use dashes. I hope you guys would like this chapter, things are about to get very interesting.**  
**

**Chapter 14**

They were all sitting around the table for dinner the next night.

Buffy and Spike were across from each other, neither able to look away from the other.

Joyce decided to be the one to start a conversation. "So, how is school going?"

No one had anything to say to that, until Spike finally spoke up.

"School is going very well, Joyce. I never knew I would learn to like it here so much," he said, his eyes turning back to Buffy.

She looked away from his intense stare and hoped that no one else noticed it.

Joyce just seemed pleased with his answer. "Well, I'm very glad to hear that."

The others started to feel more comfortable and talked about what was going on with them at school.

Buffy and Spike tuned everyone out and remained focused on each other.

She grinned when she got an idea and lightly brushed her foot against his leg.

His eyes bulged at what she was doing.

Buffy felt satisfied by his reaction and moved her foot up higher.

Spike gripped the edge of the table and tried to remain in control. She would definitely get it later. He suddenly lost it when her foot reached his crotch. "Bloody hell," he gasped and noticed the confused expressions around him.

Buffy removed her foot and glanced down at the plate in front of her, not being able to keep the smile off of her face.

"Are you all right, son?"

Spike looked at his father and nodded. "Yeah, it was nothing."

Giles nodded as well and continued talking with Joyce.

Spike stared at Buffy, who was trying not to laugh. Oh, she would definitely be getting it. He then raised his foot under the table and kicked her, but tried not to do it too hard.

"Ow, what the hell was that for?" she said, rubbing her leg.

Spike shrugged when he once again noticed everyone's gaze on him. "Sorry, was that you? I guess I just slipped," he said with a smirk.

Buffy glared daggers at him, but didn't say anything else about it. She just returned to her food, planning on paying him back for that.

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Buffy grabbed Spike's arm when he walked by her room and pulled him inside. She closed the door and crossed her arms over her chest.

He only smiled. "Well, now that you have me alone. What do you plan on doing with me?"

She just pushed him onto her bed and got on top of him. "You are truly evil."

"What can I tell you, baby? I've always been bad," he replied with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, somehow I doubt that. I know about your past, or did you forget?"

Spike shook his head. "You don't know everything."

"No, but I know enough. It's only a matter of time until you tell me more. It would only be fair, after all."

He sat up and put his arm around her. "I'm sure there's a lot I don't know about you, either. I would like to know more about your father."

Buffy looked away from his gaze. "It's not always easy for me to talk about." She glanced back up at him after a moment. "What about your mother? You never talk about her."

Spike took a deep breath. "She died when I was seven. I don't remember all that much about her. I just know that she was incredibly beautiful. My dad showed us pictures over the years, especially to Connor. The poor kid hardly has any memories of her. I know that she used to sing to us when it was hard to sleep. The sound of her voice was always so soothing. She was American and my dad met her when she was visiting friends in London. She ended up moving there to be with him." He stopped and looked into Buffy's eyes, caressing her cheek lightly. "I know that she would have loved you."

Buffy felt touched by his words, and that he was finally starting to open up to her. She moved closer to him and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

Spike returned her kiss and knew that he finally found everything he has always wanted.

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Buffy walked outside to dump the trash because unfortunately, it was her turn. She was about to head back in the house, but a sound stopped her. She noticed that it was someone crying. She then made her way to the tree house that was in the yard. Her father built it when they were all younger. She got closer and realized that Cordelia was sitting at the bottom of the tree house, her head buried in her hands. She went to her side and sat down next to her.

Cordelia raised her head to see who it was and quickly wiped her eyes.

Buffy couldn't remember ever seeing her sister like this. It started to make her worried. "Are you okay?"

She shook her head. "I don't know what my problem is. He's such a jerk; I should just be over him by now."

Buffy nodded and had a feeling she was talking about Angel. "What happened?" she wondered.

Cordelia took a deep breath before she spoke. "I found him at the Bronze with another girl. He didn't waste anytime, it's like what we had didn't mean anything to him. I know that I shouldn't even care after what he did to you, but I actually thought we had something special. God, I feel so stupid."

Buffy patted her sister's back to give her some comfort. "He's the stupid one, Cordy. The only person that Angel cares about is himself. I just wish we could do something to prove that he's not the great guy everyone thinks he is. His reputation means everything to him. It's about time the truth came out."

Cordelia looked at her. "What did you have in mind?"

Buffy shrugged. "I don't know yet, but something has to be done."

Cordelia couldn't agree more.

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Buffy smiled when she finished talking with Riley. She got Lorne and Fred involved as well since they both also went to UC Sunnydale. She had a plan to bring Angel down and nothing would stand in her way. He was finally going to get what he deserved.


	15. Chapter 15

I apologize in advance for those that might not find the humor in this chapter, but I had a lot of fun with it. I'm really interested to know what you guys think of it, so please feel free to let me know. Thanks for all of the reviews!**  
**

**Chapter 15**

"I really feel weird doing this."

"You're going to be fine, Fred. We're doing this for all those poor girls that Angel has hurt. The bastard gives all men a bad name."

Fred nodded and looked at Lorne. "I know it has to be done, but I don't know if I can do it. This just isn't me," she said and glanced down at the somewhat skimpy outfit that she borrowed from Faith.

Lorne grabbed her shoulders and tried to give her some comfort. "You're not in this alone, honey. We'll be close by if anything happens, okay?"

She nodded again and took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

Riley then made his way over to them. "He just showed up."

Lorne looked to notice that Angel arrived at the frat party with some slutty blonde on his arm. He really hoped they would be able to pull this off. "All right, he's never seen me before. I'll distract the girl, while you make your move," he said the last part to Fred.

She watched as her brother went over to the couple.

Lorne whispered something in the girl's ear.

She giggled and walked away.

Angel didn't even seem to notice. He was too busy chatting up a few of the other females.

Fred wondered what Lorne could have told her, but there was no time for that. She took a deep breath and headed over to Angel, while Lorne went to join Riley.

Angel was putting the moves on some freshman girl when she stepped in front of him. He looked to notice the short, leather skirt and halter top that she was wearing. He definitely liked what he saw. He suddenly forgot about the other girl he was talking with and gave Fred a leer. "Well, who might you be?"

She smiled at him and tried to be seductive. "I'm whoever you want me to be, babe. I hear you're pretty good with the ladies. I just wanted to see if that was true."

Angel's smile became wider. "I can definitely tell you it's true, but why don't you see for yourself?" He wrapped his arms around her small frame and moved to the music, grinding against her.

Fred rolled her eyes and tried not to gag. She just moved with him and prayed that her brother would show up soon.

Angel felt someone tap him on the shoulder and was irritated that they had the nerve to interrupt him.

Fred sighed in relief when she finally noticed Lorne.

He gave Angel a smile. "Sorry to intrude, but a lovely lady wanted you to have this drink. She's a bit shy."

Angel grinned and took the cup out of Lorne's hand. "Tell her we'll talk later."

Lorne nodded and walked off, giving Fred a wink.

Angel drank the beverage down all at once, then threw the cup to the floor.

Fred smiled and figured that it was time to take some serious action.

"Now, where were we?"

He grabbed her ass and Fred knew that now was the time. She couldn't take pretending to like him anymore. "I was just thinking that it's so loud out here. Is there somewhere quieter we can go?" She didn't think it was possible for his smile to get any bigger, but she was wrong.

"You know, I was just thinking the same thing. We can go to my dorm room, it's right over here."

Fred agreed and let him lead her away from the loud party. She felt worried once they reached his room and hoped the pills would soon take effect.

Angel shoved her down on his bed and started to kiss her neck. "I'll make you feel so good."

She lightly pushed on his chest. "I haven't even told you my name yet."

He shook his head and licked down her throat. "I don't care. I know all that I need to."

Fred pulled away. "Maybe we could just talk for a while."

Angel laughed. "Right, I'm sure that's what you really want. That's why you're dressed like a whore and wanted to be alone with me. I know what you want, baby."

She was outraged. "Excuse me? You can't just call someone a whore because of what they're wearing. You don't even know me."

Angel started to feel dizzy and tried to focus on the conversation. "Why are you playing hard to get? I know what you came in here for. Now, shut up and let me do what I'm best at." He forced her to lie on the bed and got on top of her, pinning her arms over her head.

Fred was struggling underneath him. She gazed up into his eyes, which now looked drowsy.

Angel shook his head to try and concentrate, but he knew something was wrong. "What the hell did you do to me, bitch?" he said, then passed out on top of her.

Fred shoved his bulky body away and looked to see that he was finally unconscious. She never felt so relieved in her life.

The door suddenly burst open and her brothers barged in.

Lorne went to her side instantly. "Are you okay? We should have come in sooner."

Fred shook her head. "I'm fine, let's just get this over with. I would like to be elsewhere."

Riley made sure the door was closed and locked before moving over to the bed.

She gasped when Lorne started to strip Angel of his clothing, but was really relieved that he left his boxers on.

Riley removed Buffy's scarf that he had in his pocket and wrapped it around Angel's wrists, tying him to the bed.

Fred squealed and covered her eyes when Lorne started to undress himself now. She did not need to see her brother half nude.

Lorne got in bed next to Angel and started to snuggle with him. "Make sure you get my good side," he said to Riley, who smiled and pulled his digital camera out.

Riley took a few shots of Lorne and Angel in different positions, then finally realized that he had enough. "All right, I think we're good. We need to get out of here."

Lorne agreed and put his clothes back on.

Fred finally looked up and was relieved that it was over.

They hurried out of the dorm room, leaving Angel in the same pose.

Riley smiled at the thought of what they just did. He wondered what everyone would think of the big man on campus once the pictures were revealed. He could hardly wait for the outcome.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Buffy couldn't stop laughing when she saw the pictures that Riley took. "Oh my god, these are great. I would love to be there to see his reaction."

Riley smiled. "We put them all around campus, and even posted on the Internet. He'll definitely have a hard time with the ladies after this."

She smiled in return and gave him a hug. "You're the best brother ever. Thanks for doing this."

He shrugged and pulled out of the embrace. "Hey, no one hurts my little sister and gets away with it. He deserved everything that he got."

Buffy agreed. "I'll be right back. I have to thank Fred and Lorne for their help. You know, I think a lot of good came out of Mom getting remarried," she said with a smile, then ran out of her room.

Riley watched her go. He had to admit that she was right.

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Angel woke up with the biggest headache. He didn't understand what happened when he finally opened his eyes, the night before nothing but a blur. He remembered chatting with a hot girl and figured that he woke up tied to the bed because she got a bit kinky. He left the room and ignored his frat brothers. He vaguely heard them laughing about something, but couldn't seem to care. It was when he walked out of the dorm that he got the shock of his life. There were pictures posted of him everywhere in a very compromising position, with a guy that he didn't even know. The other man seemed to have his face covered, so he wasn't as recognizable. Angel snatched one of the photos and scowled at it, pure rage on his features. He looked around and noticed all of the people staring and laughing at him. Who were they to laugh at him? Did they have any idea who he was? Someone was definitely going to pay for this.

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"That's bloody priceless, love. Although, I'm not thrilled the git had his filthy paws on my sister."

Buffy looked down and felt guilty. "I'm sorry that I got her involved. I just didn't know who else I could ask. I knew Riley wouldn't have let anything happen to her."

Spike pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'm just glad the ponce got what was coming to him, as long as no one was hurt. I have a feeling we might not be seeing him again."

Buffy nodded and didn't know what to say to that. She had a feeling that it was far from being over.

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Angel was steamed when he got back to his room. He had to deal with derogatory comments all day from idiots that he once looked down on. He would be damned if he let the culprit get away with humiliating him. He moved over to his bed and frowned when he saw the purple scarf, the same one that was used to tie him to the bed. He wondered why he didn't think about it before. He then picked up the scarf and sniffed it, knowing that something seemed really familiar. He knew that scent all too well, and remembered seeing this particular scarf before. His eyes bulged when realization finally hit him.

"Buffy!" he stated out loud, even though no one was around. "Oh, you will pay for this, little girl. I don't know how you managed to screw me over, but it's the last thing you're ever going to do."

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Buffy woke up with a start. She had another nightmare and hoped they would have gone away by now, but no such luck. She then got out of bed, quietly making her way out of the room and over to Spike's. She found him sound asleep and crawled into the bed next to him. She was in luck that Connor was staying the night at a friend's house, so he was in the room by himself. She snuggled up to his bare chest and he unconsciously wrapped his arm around her.

Spike was confused and suddenly opened his eyes. He was surprised to see her there. "Buffy, what's wrong?"

"I couldn't sleep. I have this weird feeling that Angel might come after me. I didn't want to be alone."

Spike held her tighter and rubbed his face against the top of her head. "I won't let him anywhere near you. I don't think you have anything to worry about. He's too daft to think you had anything to do with that prank."

Buffy didn't know if she could believe that, but only nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right. Go back to sleep, I'm sorry I woke you."

He smiled and placed a kiss on the tip of her nose. "You never have to apologize for that. I like that you're letting me get this close to you. It means a lot."

"I like being close to you," she replied, slowly moving her hand under the covers and to his lower area.

Spike gasped and took in a deep breath.

Buffy's eyes widened. "You're not wearing any underwear, are you?"

He shook his head. "Not something I usually make a habit of, but I didn't think I would have any company tonight."

She immediately removed her hand. "Okay, I'll just make a note of that."

Spike smiled. "Get some sleep, love. You'll have plenty of time to play with my bits later."

Buffy slapped him lightly on the chest. "I'm gonna hold you to that."

He wouldn't have it any other way.

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Angel sat in his car in front of the high school, watching Buffy talk with her loser friends. She was laughing like she didn't have a care in the world. He was determined to bring her happiness down. He wouldn't allow her to be cheerful while he was miserable. The bitch had to pay for what she did. He would make it hurt in the worst way possible, and none of her lame brothers were going to get in the way this time. He was going to have himself one good day.

"Oh, you will pay, sweetheart. You won't even see it coming, but you're going to regret the day that you ever messed with Liam Angelus," he said with a sadistic grin, then drove away from the school.


	17. Chapter 17

Just a warning for this chapter. There will be an attempted rape, but it's nothing too graphic. I don't think I could write that. I'm a little nervous about this chapter, so I really hope you guys like it. The last chapter seemed to have gone downhill a bit. If you guys are still interested, I hope you would let me know what you think of this one. Thanks to those that reviewed!

**Chapter 17**

Buffy and Spike were out at the Bronze the next night. Most of their siblings were around, so they couldn't really consider it to be a date. After a while, they managed to get away to spend some time alone in a secluded area. The world seemed to fall away when their lips finally touched in what felt like forever. It was hard having a secret relationship, but they weren't ready for it to get out just yet.

Spike sucked her bottom lip into his mouth, delighted in the moans that were coming from her. He couldn't remember anything ever feeling so good. He only had one girlfriend before, but it was never like this.

Buffy pulled away when breathing became an issue. "You're really good at that," she panted.

He smiled in satisfaction. "You have the ability to make a man weak in the knees with your kisses."

She blushed and was still not used to the compliments.

Spike found it absolutely adorable on her and went in for another kiss, but her hand on his chest stopped him.

"Save that for later. I have to visit the little girl's room," she said with a wink, then went to do just that.

Spike watched her go with a sigh, knowing that he was in love for the first time in his life.

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Buffy left the restroom and was finding it hard to keep the smile off of her face, but it quickly faded when she saw who was waiting for her.

"Well, if it isn't sweet Buffy. What are the odds that I would run into you like this?"

She rolled her eyes, not about to let him get to her anymore. "What do you want, Angel?"

A twisted smirk found its way onto his face. "I have something that you might want," he said, pulling out the purple scarf from his back pocket.

Buffy's eyes widened, but she tried not to let it show.

"I believe this belongs to you."

She shook her head. "I...I've never seen that before."

Angel gazed at the scarf, then back at her. "Really? I could have sworn that I saw you with it once. Maybe next time, you should try saying that without the stutter." He then grabbed her and put his hand over her mouth to stop her from screaming. He picked her up and laughed at her struggles. He carried her into the empty bathroom, locking the door behind him. He threw her to the floor, without caring to be gentle.

Buffy stared up at him, the fear clearly written on her face now.

Angel got on top of her and started to tie her hands together with the scarf. "Let's see how you like it." He slapped her across the face when she tried to scream again. "We can't have that now. I wouldn't want any interruptions until I'm done with you." When he was finished with that, he started to unbutton her blouse with one hand, while keeping the other on her mouth. "You've ruined my life, you little bitch. Now, I'm going to ruin yours all over again."

Buffy didn't know what to do when he finally got her shirt open. She just bit down on his hand and kicked him with all of her strength.

Angel yelled and stopped her from getting away. He slammed her to the floor, hitting her head against the tile. "You'll pay for that," he spat.

Buffy's vision started to blur from the impact. There was nothing else she could do as he started to lift up her skirt. She felt tears in her eyes that this was happening again and prayed that Spike would help her.

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Spike was getting worried when Buffy didn't come back and decided to go check on her. He got to the girl's bathroom and heard a commotion going on inside. He turned the knob to find that it was locked.

"Buffy, are you in there?" he said and got a scream as his response. He knew that was her and started to pound on the door. He felt pure fear at the thought of what was happening in there and decided to kick it as hard as he could. The door finally burst open and he ran inside, only to find Buffy on the floor with a large man on top of her. He felt rage now and pulled the bloke off of her, slamming him into the doorknob and knocking him out. It was then that he noticed Angel. He should have known the man wouldn't stay away, but Spike couldn't think about him at the moment. He hurried to Buffy's side and saw that her clothes were ripped, but it looked like he got there just in time. He held her to him and let her cry into his chest. "It's okay, sweetheart. I've got you now," he whispered soothingly, then glanced down to see that her hands were tied up. He quickly removed the scarf and threw it away, having a feeling that she wouldn't want it back after this.

Buffy then wrapped her arms around his neck once her hands were free. She clung to him as her sobs started to die down.

They were no longer alone when Security ran into the restroom, followed by their brothers and sisters.

Spike looked up at the two security guards and pointed to the unconscious man on the floor. "He was the one causing trouble. He tried to rape my girlfriend."

The guard in the lead nodded and went to take care of Angel.

Spike heard the gasps and noticed the shocked faces of their siblings, all except for Faith. He knew the secret was out now, but he couldn't seem to care. He only cared about the girl in his arms. He then helped her up and made his way over to the doorway, keeping his arm around her. "I'm taking her home. I'll see you guys there," he said to them and left the restroom.

Riley ushered the others out of there once the shock wore off. He dreaded what was bound to happen when they got home. He could accept his sister being with Spike, even though he never would have seen that coming. Spike did save Buffy's life and he seemed like a good man for her, but he had a feeling their parents might see it differently.

It was only a matter of time.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Spike went to get Buffy a glass of water after he explained to their parents about what happened at the Bronze, leaving the part of their relationship out. He figured now wasn't the best time, but it was bound to come up once the others arrived home. He entered the living room to find Joyce with her arms wrapped around Buffy. He didn't want to interrupt the moment and just placed the cup on the table in front of her. He was about to sit down on the other side of Buffy, but Giles cleared his throat.

"I think we should leave them alone now, William. You did well tonight, but I'm sure you're exhausted."

Spike shook his head. "I'm sorry, Dad. I can't leave her right now. Not this time."

Giles nodded. "I know you probably feel responsible for what happened since you are the one that found Buffy, but she'll be fine now."

Spike wasn't about to let it go. "It's more than that. She's hurting right now and I can't walk away." He then took a deep breath and looked at Buffy before saying the rest. "I love her."

Giles and Joyce were both shocked by that statement.

Buffy just gazed up at him in wonder, clearly not expecting him to say that.

Spike figured he was already in trouble, so he took a seat next to Buffy and grabbed her hand.

Joyce stood up to join her husband.

Spike squeezed her hand and glanced up at the adults. "We've been seeing each other recently. This wasn't planned or anything, it just happened. We never expected to fall for each other, but I love her very much." He turned to look at Buffy, wiping a tear off of her face with his thumb. "I love you, Buffy," he whispered with so much emotion in his voice.

She gave him a soft smile. "I love you, too."

He sighed in relief and pressed a quick kiss to her lips.

Joyce placed her hand over her heart. She didn't know what to think about this turn of events, but she didn't have much time to think about it.

The rest of the kids barged into the house, all engaged in a bunch of different conversations. They stopped when they walked into the living room and noticed how tense the atmosphere was.

Xander was the first one to speak up. "I'm thinking they know."

The others nodded and then hurried upstairs, not wanting to face the wrath of their parents.

Giles glanced at his son once everyone was gone. "Come with me, William. I want to speak with you in private, and I believe Joyce would like to do the same thing."

Spike sighed and after giving Buffy one more kiss, got up and left with his father.

Joyce sat back down next to her daughter. "Where do I begin?" she wondered.

Buffy took a deep breath. "How about that you'll always love me no matter what I do?"

"Of course I'll always love you, honey. Nothing could ever change that. I just don't know what to say. I have a feeling you would just do the opposite, anyway."

Buffy gave a small smile. "Your opinion does matter a lot to me, Mom. Spike is incredible, there's no telling what could have happened to me tonight if he wasn't there. I can't even think about it. All he did was prove that he'll always be there for me. I know I've had a lot of bad relationships in the past, but this is like nothing I've ever felt before. He treats me like I'm the only person in the world. He hardly even notices other girls at school. I just want you to be okay with this, but even if you're not, I'm pretty much not gonna stop seeing him."

Joyce nodded. "I figured you wouldn't. I guess I just keep forgetting that you're not a little girl anymore. You've been so miserable since your father died and lately I've seen happiness in you that I haven't seen in years. I suppose William is the cause of that?"

Buffy nodded as well. "He really is, Mom. I never thought I could like the idea of you marrying someone else, but that brought him into my life. I'll always miss Daddy, but I could never regret meeting Spike. I see how happy Giles makes you. I would never want to get in the way of that, just like I'm sure you wouldn't want to get in the way of my happiness."

Joyce smiled. "You do make a good point. I would never want to take away your happiness, sweetie. If this is what you really want, then I won't stand in the way of it."

Buffy squealed and attacked her mother in a hug. "Thank you so much, Mom. You don't know how much this means to me."

Joyce rubbed her daughter's back. "I think I have some idea. I wonder how the boys are doing with their talk."

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"I have to admit, this isn't something that I would have seen coming."

Spike nodded and occupied himself by looking around the basement. It was the only place to have some privacy in the house. "Believe me, you're not the only one. I feel horrible for the way I treated Buffy when we first moved here. She's truly amazing, Dad. There isn't one thing about her that I don't love. I know you may think we're too young to know what love is, or that we're rushing into things…"

Giles cut him off by holding up a hand. "I was young once, William. I met Joyce when I was only a year older than you. I fell in love with her at first sight, just as I did with your mother. You may think I don't understand young love, but I do. I know what you feel for her is very real. Buffy is a wonderful girl. I honestly don't think you could have chosen anyone better. I think you both would be very good for each other."

Spike's jaw practically dropped at his father's speech. He wasn't expecting that. "You're really okay with this?"

He nodded. "I'm going to accept this relationship, but you do still live under the same roof together. There will have to be some rules to follow."

A smile lit up Spike's face. "I wouldn't expect anything less. Thanks, Dad," he said and gave his father a hug.

Giles was surprised at first, then returned the embrace.

They pulled away after a moment.

"I'm going to see my girl."

Giles nodded and watched his son head out of the basement. He realized that William was truly growing up. His mother would be very proud of the young man that he has become.


	19. Chapter 19

A little time has passed from the last chapter. I wanted to get things moving. I hope you guys like this one. Thanks for the reviews!

**Chapter 19**

"I can't believe Oz asked me to the Senior Prom. I didn't even think he noticed me."

Buffy nodded. "I've been telling you for the last few weeks that he's been checking you out at lunch. Why are you so shocked that he likes you, Willow? You're a total catch," she told her friend, who blushed in response.

"I don't know about that. I'm not a senior yet, I guess it just took me by surprise."

Buffy shrugged. "I'm not a senior and yet I'm going to Prom with one. Hey, you guys can hang with me and Spike. You know, until you feel more comfortable about being alone with him."

Willow gave her a grateful smile. "I really appreciate you helping me out, Buffy. I've never really dated before. This is all so new to me."

She nodded in understanding. "I was there once before, don't worry about it. You're going to do great."

Willow hoped that was true and decided to change the subject. "How are things going with you and Spike?"

Buffy smiled at the thought of her boyfriend. "A lot better than I would have expected. I figured that we would get a lot of crap when the truth came out, but everything's been pretty good. We've been together for about six months now. This is the longest I've ever been in a relationship, and I really hope I didn't just jinx that."

Willow smiled again. "I'm sure you guys will be fine. You have that real love going for you. I hope to have that one day."

"You never know, Oz could be the one. He doesn't say much, but that could be a good thing."

Willow had to agree.

Buffy took a deep breath before saying what else was on her mind. "I think Prom is going to be the night, Will."

She raised her eyebrows at what Buffy was implying. "Really? I know that you have before, but wouldn't this be the first for Spike?"

Buffy nodded. "He thinks he's ready to take our relationship to the next level. I mean, Prom would be the perfect night. We would be allowed to stay out later, so he agreed to get us a room at the Sunnydale Inn. I'm so nervous, Will. I feel like I'm the virgin here. I've never been anyone's first before. I hope I wouldn't screw it up."

"Spike loves you, Buffy. I think anyone with eyes can see that. You don't have to worry."

Buffy felt better at her friend's words. She kept remembering when Spike told her that he wanted to be in love before he ever considered having sex. It meant so much knowing that he was willing to be with her in that way. She didn't have the best experiences when it came to sex and hoped that everything would work out for them.

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Spike felt nervous as he gazed at the objects in front of him. He didn't realize there were so many different kinds of condoms. He had no experience in this area and wasn't sure which ones to get. He ran his fingers through his hair and just grabbed one, figuring they all worked the same way. He looked around and hoped that no one would notice, but there was no such luck.

"Aww, is someone embarrassed to purchase condoms? That is just adorable. Is this your first time, sweetie?"

Spike's eyes bulged when he noticed the elderly woman standing behind him.

She then took the packet out of his hands and placed it back on the shelf, grabbing another packet to hand to him. "You'll want these, honey. They'll feel a lot better for your partner when she reaches orgasm."

Spike took the packet from her and really wished that he was anywhere else. "Uh, thanks?"

She pinched his cheeks and smiled. "You are just too cute, you remind me of my grandson. Have a good time, but remember to always be safe."

He watched in shock as the woman walked away, wondering what the hell just happened.

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"It's not that bloody funny."

Buffy stopped laughing and took on a serious expression. "You're right, I'm sorry."

Spike rolled his eyes and sat down on her bed. "I'm officially scarred for life. You don't know how bloody humiliating that was."

"I could take a guess, but at least you got them. There's no going back now. You're not having second thoughts, are you?"

Spike shook his head. "Not after that, we're definitely doing this." He stood up and grasped both of her hands. "I love you, Buffy. I want to share everything with you. I think eighteen years is long enough. You're the one I've been waiting my whole life for. I know that more than anything else in this world."

She was touched and pressed her lips to his. The kiss turned more passionate as she slipped her tongue into his mouth.

Spike wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. He broke away a moment later at the sound of gagging coming from the doorway.

"That is so gross."

Buffy glared at her younger sister.

Spike only smiled. "You won't think that when you're older, nibblet."

Connor moved over to the doorway to join Dawn. "What's gross?" he wondered.

She looked at him. "Buffy and Spike were swapping spit again."

Buffy scrunched up her nose at her sister's description of what they were doing.

Connor shrugged. "I've kissed a girl before, it's not so bad."

Spike raised his eyebrows. "When exactly did you do that? How come I didn't know about it?"

"I don't have to tell you everything," he said, then left the room.

Spike watched his brother go. "You know, I don't think I like that he's growing up. It's a little scary."

Buffy laughed and knew exactly what he meant.

Dawn crossed her arms over her chest. "You guys could get in trouble for this. Mom said you're not allowed to be alone in a room together."

Buffy moved over to the younger girl. "Yes, but Mom's not here right now. I know you wouldn't tell her, Dawn. Am I right?"

Dawn paled at the look her sister was giving her. "Fine, I won't say anything. You always spoil my fun," she mumbled before walking away.

Buffy smiled in satisfaction and turned back to Spike. "Now, where were we?"

He smiled as well, then closed the bedroom door.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Xander barged into Buffy's room and went straight for her bed. He found his sister on top of Spike and pulled her off of him.

Buffy struggled in his arms. "Xander, what the hell are you doing?"

He put her down. "You know better than that, Buffy. You shouldn't be taking advantage of the fact that Mom's not here. There's no telling what would have happened in this room if I didn't show up."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Believe me; I'm not stupid enough to have sex in my room. We were only kissing. I'm sure it hasn't been that long since you've done it." She stopped to think about that. "Well, maybe it has."

Xander glared at her. "You're very funny. I happen to have a date this weekend, not that it's any of your business."

She held her hands up. "Whatever you say."

Dawn appeared in the doorway and gave her sister a smile.

Buffy scowled at her, knowing that she had something to do with the interruption.

Dawn only shrugged. "Hey, I said I wouldn't tell Mom. I never said anything about Xander."

"You have a five second head start."

Dawn squealed and ran out of the room, Buffy right on her heels.

"Get back here, brat!" she yelled after her.

Spike laughed at their antics, then turned a nervous look on Xander. "We really weren't going any further than that."

Xander nodded. "I would hope not. I'm just looking out for my little sister. I don't want her to get hurt again."

Spike agreed. "I don't want that, either. Buffy's very important to me. I wouldn't do anything to hurt her."

Xander was about to reply, but Cordelia showed up in the room before he got a chance to.

"Buffy just locked Dawn out of the house. What happened this time?"

Xander rolled his eyes and headed out of the room to deal with his sisters.

Cordelia was confused and turned to Spike.

He just shook his head. "It's best not to ask."

Cordelia decided that he was probably right. She then licked her lips and moved closer to him. "You know, now that I think about it, you're actually not so bad to look at. This whole bad boy image that you have going for you is kinda sexy."

Spike gulped at the way she was staring at him and took a step back. "I'm very flattered and all, but I am with your sister."

She shrugged. "We could have a lot of fun together. Buffy doesn't have to know."

"Yeah, but I would know. I could never do that to her."

Cordelia smiled. "Good answer. That was a test. I needed to see if you were really good enough for my sister. I can't say I'm all that convinced yet, but you're getting closer."

Spike sighed in relief when she left the room. "This family is bloody insane," he said to himself.

Cordelia stuck her head back into the room. "Don't forget, you're a part of it now," she told him with a wink, then walked away.

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"I'm so telling Mom that you locked me out," Dawn complained.

"Fine, then I'll tell Mom about the D you got on your Math test that you don't want her to know about."

Dawn crossed her arms over her chest. "You're evil."

Buffy smiled. "And damn proud of it, but I'm being serious here. What's gotten into you, Dawn? You're constantly annoying me all the time now, even more than usual. Are you just really bored or something? There are other people in this house that you can bother."

"I just want you to include me in stuff. You don't know how hard it is to be the youngest. I'm always getting ignored. Ever since you've been seeing Spike, you don't do anything with me anymore."

Buffy wasn't expecting that. "Why didn't you tell me that you've been feeling left out?"

Dawn shrugged. "I didn't wanna sound like a baby. I get that he's your boyfriend now, but we used to do stuff together. Before you had to go and get a life. I probably won't get one of those until I'm at least fifteen. I have two years to kill here. It's great that Connor's close to my age, but he's a boy and they're no fun."

Buffy smiled and ran her fingers through Dawn's long, dark hair. "Yeah, I remember how hard it was to be thirteen. How about we do something this weekend? Just the two of us. I'll try to be a better sister to you, Dawny. I've just had a lot to deal with, but I don't want you to feel that you can't still talk to me."

Her eyes lit up. "You would really hang out with me?"

Buffy nodded. "We can do whatever you want."

Dawn smiled and thought about it. "Can we go to the mall? I wanted to look in the music store."

"That sounds like a good idea. I still haven't picked out my Prom dress yet. Would you like to help me choose one?"

Dawn was glad that Buffy would actually let her help with something as big as that. Well, she just assumed it was a big deal. She gave her big sister a hug. "Thanks, Buffy."

She returned the embrace and realized that she hasn't been all that great to Dawn, but that was about to change. She knew what it was like to feel left out by your older sister and never wanted Dawn to feel like that.

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"Buffy, it's okay. I'm not going to get upset about you wanting to spend time with your sister," he explained.

"I still feel bad about it, Spike. I forgot that we had plans this weekend."

Spike gave her a kiss on the lips to stop her from worrying. "It's not a big deal. You go and have fun with Dawn. I can find something else to do."

She raised her eyebrows. "Why do you seem happy about that? You want to get rid of me, don't you? Oh god, you're tired of me already?"

Spike laughed and shook his head. "I could never get tired of you, Buffy. I love you and that's not about to change. We have been spending a lot of time together lately. It probably wouldn't hurt to spend a little time apart. Maybe this will give me a reason to do something with Connor. I feel like I've been neglecting him, too."

Buffy smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Thanks for being so understanding."

"Well, that's what I'm here for. I'm not one of those boyfriends that will order you around and make you spend every hour with me. You're a free woman." He thought about that statement. "Let me rephrase that. You're a free woman, but not with any other men."

Buffy laughed as well and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. "No chance of that. I'm all yours, baby."

Spike held her tighter and really believed that she was his.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

"So, what do you think of this one?" Buffy asked her sister after trying on about five different dresses.

"Wow, you look so pretty," Dawn replied.

Buffy smiled and looked herself over in the mirror again. "Yeah, I think we have a winner." The dress hugged her curves perfectly and it was red, which she knew was Spike's favorite color.

"I think I would have to agree."

She turned at the male voice that came from behind her.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to intrude. I just had an urge to tell you how stunning you are. I don't usually make a habit of coming up to girls that I don't know, so try to go easy on me."

Buffy noticed the amused look on Dawn's face and glanced back at the man. "Well, that's sweet of you. Tell me, does that line usually work? I don't really fall for the whole shy boy routine, but it was a very good try."

He smiled. "Aren't you a feisty one? I like that in a girl."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Dawn, go for a walk, but stay inside the store."

Dawn wanted to stick around, but figured there was no point arguing about it. She just let out a sigh and walked away from the dressing rooms.

Buffy ignored the stranger and went to change out of the dress. When she came back out, she saw that he was still standing there. "I guess you didn't take the hint."

He held his hands up in surrender. "I promise that I'm harmless. In fact, I would like to make a peace offering." He held his hand out to her. "My name's Owen, it's nice to meet you."

She took his hand after a moment. "I'm Buffy, the pleasure is all yours."

Owen laughed and dropped her hand. "You really are feisty. Look, I'm sorry for hitting on you like that. It's really not something that I do often. I guess there was just something about you. To make it up to you, how about I take you out to dinner tonight? I promise to be on my best behavior."

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest. "How old are you?" she wondered.

He looked shy before answering. "I'm twenty-three, is that a bad thing?"

Buffy smiled and shook her head. "It wouldn't be if I was eighteen, but since I'm not, we would call that jail bait. Besides, I already have a boyfriend, but thanks anyway." She grabbed the dress that she planned on buying and went to look for Dawn.

"Right, maybe I'll just see you around then," he called after her.

Buffy just kept walking, without bothering to give him another glance.

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"Spike is gonna freak when he sees you in that dress, Buffy."

She smiled at Dawn and went to hang the dress up in her closet.

"Does Spike get a sneak preview?"

They both turned at the new voice in the doorway.

Buffy smiled at the sight of her boyfriend. "Spike will just have to wait until the Prom."

He pouted.

"Nope, it's not working. I invented that."

Spike shrugged and made his way into the room, plopping down on Buffy's bed. "So, did you ladies have a good time?"

Buffy was about to respond, but Dawn beat her to it.

"It was great shopping with someone other than Mom for a change, but I think Buffy had more fun," she said with a grin.

Buffy knew what her sister was implying and shook her head. "Nope, it wasn't fun at all. I think shopping has gotten kinda dull. Yeah, nothing exciting happened."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Yeah, except for that cute guy that was totally flirting with you. Why do you get all the attention?" she mumbled.

Buffy grabbed Dawn and pushed her out of the room. "Okay, that's enough crazy talk from you. Go listen to your new CDs."

"But this is my room."

Buffy just closed the door in Dawn's face. "Then listen to them somewhere else." She heard her sister walk away and turned back to Spike. "Kids, they never know what they're talking about."

Spike got up and moved over to her. "So, you were flirting?"

Buffy shook her head. "He's the one that came up to me and started putting on this nice guy act, then had the nerve to ask me out." She was concerned about the look on his face and tried to make things right. "I obviously turned him down. You don't have to look at me like that, Spike. I'm not about to ruin what we have for some creep that hits on high school girls. I mean, it should have been obvious that I was a lot younger than him. I guess I just looked older in the dress."

Spike thought about it. "So, let me get this straight. Some bloke you don't even know got to see you in the dress before me?"

Buffy slapped him on the chest when she realized that he was messing with her. "Jerk, you actually had me worried. I thought you were really mad."

"I trust you, Buffy. I just have to deal with the fact that I have a very attractive girlfriend. I can't stop men from hitting on you, but I can beat them into a bloody pulp if they do it when I'm with you."

Buffy laughed and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I have no doubts. I love you, Spike. There's only you."

Spike felt touched; even though that wasn't the first time she said those words. He didn't think he would ever get used to the fact that this amazing girl loved him. He was always teased and ridiculed at his old school. A girl like Buffy never would have looked twice at William. He was surprised that he managed to get a girlfriend at all back then, but she only ended up using him. And then there was the whole mess with Cecily. She was his first real crush. He would constantly write poems about her and when he actually got up the courage to read her one, she laughed in his face, telling him that he was beneath her. It was then that he decided to become Spike. It wasn't long after that when they moved to Sunnydale. Spike figured that he would hate every second of it, but meeting Buffy was the best thing that could have happened to him. Even if they got off on the wrong foot, he would never regret any of the time they spent together. He finally knew what it was like to be in love and Prom night would be another first for him. He could hardly wait.


	22. Chapter 22

Okay, I'm thinking that I might be ending this story soon. It's obvious that the interest has gone down for it. I don't even think I'm all that interested anymore. I just want to get it finished. I have a few more chapters that are already written, but I don't think the story will be that much longer. I keep getting a lot of how much longer is the story going to be? So, that makes me think that others are ready for it to end as well. I've probably bored you guys long enough. I have another story that I've been working on and plan on posting after this one. I'm thinking that might be my last story. I'm just not into writing as much as I used to be. It doesn't seem as fun anymore, but thank you to those that always review me. It helps knowing that a few of you still like it.

**Chapter 22**

Spike couldn't keep the smile off of his face the next day. The Prom was only a few days away and he was actually looking forward to it. He would have dreaded going to a school dance a year ago, but he didn't have Buffy then. She made him happier than he could ever remember being before. He was too lost in his thoughts and wasn't paying attention, until he crashed into someone. He was shocked to realize that it was Gwen Raiden, one of the prettiest girls in the school. She wasn't really in the popular crowd, but she didn't need to be to get a lot of attention from the male populace.

Gwen smiled seductively at him. "I guess there's something good about being a klutz, after all. You can feel free to bump into me anytime, Spike."

He thought of what to say. "I'm sorry about that. I wasn't watching where I was going."

She shrugged it off. "No problem, you're just the guy I was looking for. It looks like I might be available for Prom. Normally I would just bail on the whole idea, but the parentals think I need to be more sociable. They're constantly on my case. So, you up for escorting a girl to the dance?"

"Sorry, I'm already taken," he explained.

Gwen rolled her eyes. "Right, you're going out with Buffy. What's up with that, anyway? I thought she was your step-sister or something. That just seems a little weird to me."

Spike let out the breath that he didn't even realize he was holding. "Well, it's not like we're really related. I should go now."

Gwen stopped him from walking away by running her hands down his arms. "Is there anything I can do to convince you?"

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Buffy was thrilled when she headed to her locker. She hasn't seen much of Parker and with Angel being put away, she couldn't be happier. Things finally seemed to be going right in her life and she just hoped it stayed that way. She was brought out of her thoughts by another presence that was suddenly standing next to her.

"Where the hell is your sister, Summers? She was supposed to meet me in the janitor's closet." He paused. "I mean, the cafeteria. She was supposed to meet me in the cafeteria."

Buffy smiled. "The janitor's closet, huh? Taking her to our old make out spot now, Gunn? I'm sure Faith would love that. It's very romantic."

He rolled his eyes. "I meant the cafeteria."

"Yeah, sure you did. Sorry, I haven't seen her. I was just about to meet up with Spike."

Gunn decided to stay close to her in hopes that he would run into Faith. No girl has ever made him so crazy before, but there was just something really special about the dark haired beauty.

Buffy stopped abruptly when she finally reached her destination and noticed that Spike wasn't alone.

Gunn saw who he was with and groaned. "Damn, this won't end well. Don't do anything stupid, Buffy."

She didn't listen to him and stomped over to the couple.

Gunn shook his head. "Here we go again." He knew that things were about to get very ugly, but he wasn't going to miss the show.

Buffy scowled at the brunette once she made her way over to them. "What do you think you're doing?"

Gwen turned a smirk on her. "Hey, Buffy. I was just warming up your boyfriend for you."

"I think you need to get away from him, Gwen. You have this annoying habit of always taking what's mine and I'm sick of it. I'll be damned if Spike is going to be added to that list."

She laughed. "Please, like I'm really scared of you. Do you think he matters to me? I could have any guy that I wanted."

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest. "I think you already have, including our English teacher. I'm sure Principal Snyder would get a kick out of that. You know how much he loves to expel."

"You are such a little bitch," she spat.

Buffy smiled. "I guess that's something we have in common."

Spike managed to move away from the girls and joined Gunn, where he figured it was safer. "Does this happen a lot?" he wondered.

Gunn nodded. "Oh yeah, there's always something with them. We went out once and Gwen was after me the second she found out. Buffy has it in her head that she's trying to make her life miserable. After this, I would have to agree. They used to be close at the beginning of school, but then they just stopped. No one knows what really happened. They got into an actual fist fight last year. Take it from me; you don't wanna piss Buffy off. She's a little spitfire, that one."

Spike agreed. "Yeah, you're right about that."

They both turned their attention back on the girls to notice that they were still arguing.

A group formed around them to see if any blood would be shed this time, but there was no such luck when a teacher headed in their direction.

"Ladies, that's quite enough. You both have a class to get to right now. In fact, everyone should be in class right now."

The group of students left in a hurry to do just that.

Gwen paled at the sight of her former English teacher, Ethan Rayne.

Buffy only grinned. "We were just talking about you, sir. Gwen was enlightening me about all of your sexual needs. She says that you're quite the stallion."

"You are so dead!"

He grabbed the brunette before she could attack Buffy. "Again, I must insist that you both head to class now. If you promise not to cause anymore problems, then I won't get the principal involved."

Spike took Buffy's arm, but she wasn't finished yet.

"Yeah, I'm sure you wouldn't want to get Snyder involved. Do you find enjoyment in boinking your students? You know that's kinda sick, right? How many conquests have you had that go to this school? Do you have a hard time keeping it in your pants, Mr. Rayne?"

Spike then placed his hand over Buffy's mouth, shocked by what she just said. "Okay, we'll be getting to class now." He immediately pulled her away.

Gunn tried not to laugh and headed in the other direction, leaving student and teacher behind to stare awkwardly at each other.

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"What the bloody hell was that about?" Spike claimed once they were far enough away.

Buffy shrugged. "Nothing, just something I've wanted to say for a long time. The perv had it coming."

Spike let out a sigh. "Buffy, you can't talk to a teacher like that. You could have gotten in serious trouble."

She rolled her eyes. "Hardly, he's not gonna say anything. He's too afraid of losing his job. I just can't believe that skank, and then she had the nerve to hit on you. I felt like clawing her damn eyes out."

Spike grabbed Buffy by the shoulders. "Love, what's wrong? I've never seen you act like this before. You have nothing to be jealous about. I'm not interested in her."

Buffy wiped the tears that she now had coming down her face. "It's not even about that. I just hate her. She used to be my friend and now I can hardly look at her without wanting to kick her ass. We used to do everything together. She was the one person that I confided in after my dad died, but she became someone that I don't even recognize anymore. She stole my first boyfriend after knowing how much I liked him. Everything I had, she just had to have, too. She spread rumors about me to the whole school about how much of an airhead I was. I kept getting dumb blonde jokes from everyone after that. No one actually believed that I was smart. You thought the same thing when you met me, then she goes and has sex with a teacher just to get a better grade. God, who does that? And she had the nerve to think I was a slut? I had it with her after that, our friendship was officially over. We've been at each other's throats ever since."

Spike pulled her into his arms and guided her head to his chest. "I'm sorry about all that, Buffy. You did the right thing. You wouldn't want a friend like that. I'm just sorry about everything you had to deal with. I sometimes wish that we would have moved here sooner."

She raised her head to glance up at him. "I sometimes wish that, too. I'm really glad you're here now."

He nodded and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

Buffy suddenly had an idea and grabbed his hand, pulling him down the hall.

Spike didn't know where they were going, but a smile formed on his face when they reached the janitor's closet.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

It was finally Prom night and everyone was gathered at the Sunnydale Inn, where the big event was being held.

Buffy and Spike already had their room booked and planned on cutting out on the dance a little earlier than their friends.

For someone that wasn't too thrilled about the whole Prom idea, Spike had a hard time keeping his eyes and hands off of Buffy all night. His jaw nearly dropped when he saw her come downstairs in her dress. It was absolutely worth the wait.

Buffy was pleased by his reaction and couldn't turn her gaze away from him, either. He definitely cleaned up nice.

They shared a few dances together once they arrived, along with a couple of kisses every chance they got. After one more dance, they decided that they couldn't wait any longer and took off. The others knew of their plans, so it was no surprise when they immediately left.

Spike held Buffy's hand the whole way to their room. He suddenly took on a very nervous feeling. It was as if he had dinosaurs in his belly instead of butterflies. He waited eighteen years to lose his virginity, and it was going to happen with the woman of his dreams. He couldn't imagine sharing this moment with anyone else.

Buffy pulled him into the room once she got the door open. She could tell how tense he was and gave his hand a comforting squeeze.

Spike smiled down at her and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "I'm okay, Buffy," he whispered.

"Are you sure? We don't have to do this if you feel that you're not ready. I told you that we didn't have to rush into anything."

He shook his head. "Trust me; I'm very sure about this. I just hope I wouldn't be a disappointment to you."

Buffy couldn't believe he thought that. "Spike, you'll be amazing. I already know that. You could never disappoint me."

Spike felt relieved and then took a risk by picking her up.

Buffy squealed as Spike carried her over to the bed and gently placed her on the mattress.

He got on top of her and glanced down into her eyes. "You know, it would almost be a shame to remove this dress. You look completely breathtaking in it."

She smiled. "Well, you could always leave it on."

Spike shook his head again. "I said it would almost be a shame, the dress is coming off. I want to see all of you."

Buffy had no problems with that. She sat up to make it easier for him.

Spike reached out with shaky fingers and slowly pulled down the zipper in the back of her dress. He pushed it off of her shoulders and took in the sight of her bare chest. It didn't take long for the whole dress to come off after that. He was not a very patient man, after all.

Buffy licked her lips when Spike started to undress himself next. She was definitely not dissatisfied by the view.

Spike gently pushed her down on the bed and brushed the hair out of her face. "You are so beautiful."

She graced him with a somewhat shy smile. "You're not so bad yourself."

Spike returned her smile and went into his pants pocket that was on the floor to retrieve one of the condoms he brought. It was always good to be prepared. He slid the rubber on and joined her back on the bed. He positioned himself above her and stared into her eyes. "You might need to tell me if I do anything wrong." He knew this wasn't her first time, but he still didn't want to hurt her.

"You'll be fine, Spike. Just take it slow at first, okay?"

He nodded and took a deep breath, then slowly pushed into her.

Buffy gasped at the incredible invasion.

"Are you okay?" he wondered with concern.

She caressed his cheek. "I'm perfect, you can start moving now."

Spike obeyed and slowly moved inside of her. He closed his eyes at how tight and wonderful she felt.

Buffy ran her fingers down his back. "You can go faster now. It's okay; you don't have to worry about hurting me."

Spike was still worried, but did as she said. He made his thrusts harder and faster, knowing that he wouldn't last much longer. Not with the way she felt and the tiny moans that she let out. "Bloody hell, Buffy," he said and attacked her lips in a firm kiss.

Her scream was muffled by his mouth.

They were both soon brought to release and tried to get their breathing under control.

Spike pulled out of her after a moment, not wanting to crush her. He got up to throw out the condom, then lay back down beside her.

Buffy rested her head against his chest.

Spike smiled and wrapped his arms around her. "We'll definitely be making love a lot more after that. I've never felt anything so amazing in my life." He was confused when he felt her trembling in his arms and looked down to notice the tears in her eyes. "Love, what is it? Did I hurt you?"

She shook her head. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get all weepy. That's just the first time anyone called it making love. You made me feel so wanted and appreciated; I've never felt like that before."

Spike wiped a tear away with his thumb and leaned in to press a kiss to her lips. "I love you, Buffy. You're going to feel that way for the rest of your life. I'll see to that."

Buffy smiled and lay her head back down on his chest. "I love you, too. I always will, Spike. Nothing could ever change that."

It was his turn to tremble now as he held her tighter. This girl meant so much to him in the short time that they've had together. She already made most of his dreams come true. The next dream would be marriage, but there was no hurry for that. The only thing that mattered was that Buffy was with him now and if he had his way, she would be with him always. He already knew that she was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. They would get married and have a family of their own one day. He prayed that she would want that as well. Spike always dreamt of having a big family. After all, it was a big family that brought them together.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Buffy didn't know what she was doing when she walked to Gwen's house a couple of days later. They haven't been friends for a while, but she still felt that she should apologize for what she said in front of their former teacher. She let her temper get a hold of her and blurted out a secret that she promised herself she would never mention, even if they both had it coming. The school year was almost over and Buffy figured that it was about time to make amends. She decided to be the bigger person and take the first step, knowing that Gwen wasn't likely to.

She broke out of her thoughts when she finally reached the other girl's house. It looked the same as she remembered it. Buffy took a deep breath and knocked on the door. She waited for a few seconds and got no response. A few more knocks and still nothing, so Buffy decided to risk turning the doorknob. She was surprised to find the door unlocked and opened it, stepping into the house. Something definitely didn't feel right once she was inside. "Hello? Is anyone here?" she called out and again got no response in return. Buffy slowly headed upstairs and figured that she should just leave, but she was too curious now. She came upon Gwen's bedroom door to hear music inside, rolling her eyes at how dense her ex-friend could be sometimes. She knocked on the door and then opened it, not bothering to wait for a response that probably wouldn't come. Buffy stopped suddenly when she took in the sight of the room. It was a complete mess, but it was the unconscious figure on the floor that really had her shocked. "Oh god, Gwen!" She ran to the girl's side to check for a pulse, sighing in relief when she felt one, but it was pretty weak. It was then that she noticed the empty bottle of pills lying next to her body. Buffy panicked and instantly grabbed for the phone. She dialed 911 and waited impatiently for someone to pick up.

"911, what is your emergency?" a female voice said on the other line.

"My friend overdosed on sleeping pills. I can't get her to wake up," Buffy claimed in a frantic.

"Stay calm, miss. Where are you located?"

Buffy was finding it hard to stay calm, but managed to give Gwen's address.

"An ambulance is on the way," the lady replied after a moment.

Buffy hung up the phone and waited for help to arrive. She had no idea where Gwen's parents were and wasn't about to leave her there alone. She looked around and took notice of an empty bottle of Vodka that she didn't see before. She couldn't believe that Gwen would take a bottle of sleeping pills with alcohol. She stared down at the dark haired girl, with unshed tears in her eyes. "God, what happened to you?"

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"Buffy, what happened? Are you okay?"

She shook her head and accepted Spike's comforting embrace.

He pulled away to look at her, noticing her bloodshot eyes from crying.

"Gwen tried to kill herself. She overdosed on sleeping pills with Vodka. The doctor had to pump her stomach. They think she's going to be okay, but she still hasn't woken up."

Spike ran his fingers down her back soothingly and moved her over to one of the empty chairs in the waiting room. He sat down and pulled her down with him.

Buffy rested her head against his shoulder. She was scared when she arrived at the hospital and didn't know what to do. Spike was the only person that she wanted, knowing that he would make her feel better. She called the house and had her mother put him on the phone, after assuring her that she was fine. She didn't tell him much, just to come to the hospital and that she would explain later. Again, assuring him that she wasn't hurt or anything.

The doctor suddenly made his way over to them.

Buffy quickly stood up, Spike following her lead.

She got right to the point. "How is she?"

"Ms. Raiden is going to be fine, but she will need to take it easy for a while. Do you know of a number where her parents could be reached?"

Buffy shook her head. "No, they weren't at home. They might be out of town or something."

The doctor nodded. "Well, you may see her now. She's asking for you."

Buffy nodded as well and watched him walk away.

"Do you want me to go with you?"

Buffy looked at Spike and gave his hand a squeeze. "It's okay; I think I need to do this alone. Wait for me?"

He nodded. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll call Joyce; let her know what's going on."

She gave a small smile and placed a kiss on his cheek, then took a deep breath and headed for Gwen's hospital room.

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Buffy took in the sight of the pale girl once she entered the room and gasped.

Gwen gave a little laugh at her reaction. "Yeah, I look like a ghost or something. I think I might bring the pale look back."

Buffy moved closer to her and sat down in the chair that was next to the bed. "Only you would think about making jokes at a time like this."

She shrugged. "I have to do something to liven up this room. What were you doing at my house, Summers? You haven't set foot in there for over a year."

"I was actually coming to apologize for the whole thing at school. I didn't mean to say that to Mr. Rayne, but I was pissed off. I saw you hitting on Spike and I just lost it. Why do you always do that? Why do you have to go after everyone I like?" she wondered.

"I honestly don't know. It's not like you have the best taste in the world. I'm not interested in Billy Idol; I just wanted to have some fun. He's all yours."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "That's your problem; everything is always a game to you. It doesn't matter who you hurt. We used to be really close, Gwen. I don't know what's gotten into you. At this rate, you'll be lucky to have any friends left. What the hell were you thinking tonight? You could have died, unless that's what you were trying to accomplish. It doesn't make any sense to me why you would want to kill yourself."

Gwen gave a humorless laugh. "Of course it doesn't make sense to you, Buffy. You have the perfect life. I wouldn't expect for you to understand."

Buffy was stunned by her confession. "You think I have the perfect life? Have you been around for the last couple of years? Sometimes my life happens to suck beyond the telling of it. I lost my dad, I was raped, and I nearly drowned. I could go on. The last few years have been complete Hell. The only reason I'm happy at all right now is because of Spike. If I didn't have him, there's no telling where I would be. I don't understand why you would want a life like mine. You're only seventeen, Gwen. There is so much that you haven't done yet. Your life is bound to get better if you let it, deciding to end everything isn't the way. What brought this on?"

Gwen looked down at her hands. "I got into some stupid fight with my parents the other day. They were talking about shipping me off to an all girl boarding school in Switzerland. Apparently, they just don't want to deal with me anymore. My dad said some pretty harsh stuff to me and my mom just let him. They left for LA on another one of their many trips to get away from me. They say it's for business, but I know better. I just couldn't take anymore."

"I'm sorry about that. I know parents can be cruel sometimes, but it's not a good reason for you to kill yourself. You should try talking to them about the whole boarding school thing; get them to listen to you about how you feel. And if that doesn't work, I think it might be a good idea. Maybe you could use a change in scenery, to start over where no one knows you."

Gwen thought about it. "I suppose I could use a break from the parents."

Buffy nodded. "There you go. No matter how bad you think something is, there's always some good that comes out of it." She was silent for a moment, until she thought of something else that had always bothered her. "Why did you sleep with our teacher? Were you really that desperate for a good grade?"

Gwen rolled her eyes. "I could care less about grades. I don't know why I did it. It was stupid and I never stopped regretting it since it happened. I was at the Bronze and may have had too much to drink. I was shocked to see Mr. Rayne at the bar. I never would have expected a teacher to show up there, but I started to flirt with him. He could have turned me away, but I guess he was also pretty drunk and just didn't care. We ended up going outside to the alley, where he figured no one would see us. Well, you pretty much know the rest after that."

Buffy shuddered at the memory. "Yeah, unfortunately I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. That's something I never wanted to see."

"That was the only time it happened. We pretty much never spoke of it again. I didn't want to get in trouble, and he didn't want to lose his job. We just tried to put it behind us."

Buffy felt guilty. "I'm sorry again for what I said. I didn't plan on blurting it out like that."

Gwen waved her hand in the air. "It was bound to come out sooner or later. I'm surprised you took that long to say something."

Buffy nodded and stood up. "I should go and let you get some rest."

Gwen gave her a small smile. "Thanks for saving my life, Buffy. I'm sorry for being such a bitch. Maybe when I get out of here, we can try that whole friends thing again. You know, assuming I'm not headed to Switzerland."

Buffy returned her smile. "Yeah, I'd like that. I'll see you later." She left the room and made her way back to Spike, glad that things were starting to look up.


	25. Chapter 25

The song in this chapter is "Elsewhere" by Sarah McLachlan. I don't know if it would work all that well, but it's one of my favorite songs and I wanted to include it. Well, we're almost to the end of this fiction. More time will be passing as I get to the end. I won't really say how much, but it would be revealed in the chapter. Hope you guys like this one!

**Chapter 25**

Buffy and Gwen had a lot to make up for when she got out of the hospital. They talked about everything that has been going on in their lives, and spent a lot of time together during the remainder of the school year.

When summer finally came, Gwen decided to leave for Switzerland and was actually looking forward to it. She agreed to keep in touch with Buffy to let her know how things were going.

Buffy liked getting to know her old friend again, but was just relieved to be done with another year. She would soon be a senior and couldn't wait for that. Right now, she was enjoying hanging at the Bronze with her family and friends. She was perched on Spike's lap, when he suddenly spoke in her ear to be heard over the music. She immediately shook her head and looked into his eyes. "I don't think I can."

Spike caressed her cheek. "Yes, you can. I think it's about time, Buffy. Your father would want you to." He set her on her feet and stood up. "I know that you can do this, love. I'll be right back."

Buffy sighed and watched him head toward the stage. She saw her boyfriend talk to the band and then look back at her, giving her a smile.

"All right, ladies and gentlemen. We have a special treat for you. This little lady hasn't graced our stage in a couple of years, but she's here tonight and ready to sing her heart out. I would like you all to give a warm applause for Buffy Summers."

The crowd cheered at the announcement.

Spike walked back over to her. "The stage is yours, baby."

Buffy still wasn't able to move, until Tara came up behind her and gave her a hug.

"You can do it, sweetie. Dad will be watching you."

Buffy felt tears at her sister's words. She nodded and gave Spike a small smile, then made her way over to the stage. It had been a while since she sang in public. She used to do it all the time for fun. This would be the first time performing without her father around. She really hoped that she would be able to pull it off. Buffy smiled at the man that handed her a guitar when she got up there, sitting down on the stool that they put out for her. She looked out at the crowd and took a deep breath. "I haven't done this for a while, so I hope I'm not rusty. I've been working on this song for a few months now. I didn't think I would ever have the courage to play it for anyone, but I hope you guys like it." She strummed the guitar and took another deep breath before she started to sing.

_I love the time and in between  
The calm inside me  
In the space where I can breathe  
I believe there is a  
Distance I have wandered  
To touch upon the years of  
Reaching out and reaching in  
Holding out holding in_

_I believe  
This is heaven to no one else but me  
And I'll defend it as long as I can be  
Left here to linger in silence  
If I choose to  
Would you try to understand_

_I know this love is passing time  
Passing through like liquid  
I am drunk in my desire...  
But I love the way you smile at me  
I love the way your hands reach out and hold me near...  
I believe..._

_I believe_

_This is heaven to no one else but me  
And I'll defend it as long as I can be _

_Left here to linger in silence  
If I choose to  
Would you try to understand_

_Oh the quiet child awaits the day when she can break free  
The mold that clings like desperation  
Mother can't you see I've got  
To live my life the way I feel is right for me  
Might not be right for you but it's right for me...  
I believe..._

_I believe  
This is heaven to no one else but me  
And I'll defend it as long as I can be_

_Left here to linger in silence  
If I choose to  
Would you try to understand it_

_I would like to linger here in silence  
If I choose to  
Would you understand it  
Would you try to understand..._

Buffy's voice trailed off as she stopped playing. She had tears streaming down her face, oblivious to the burst of applause that erupted from the audience. She placed the guitar down and quickly ran backstage.

Spike saw her retreat and took off after her. He caught her right before she went outside, his heart breaking at the obvious distress that she was in. "I'm sorry, Buffy. I shouldn't have put pressure on you if you weren't ready."

She shook her head. "No, I'm glad you did. I never would have had the guts to get up there again if it wasn't for you. I felt him with me through the song, Spike. I know I can do this now and that he'll always be there. Thank you for making me realize how much I've missed this."

Spike wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "You were so amazing up there, sweetheart. I've never seen anything so beautiful in my life. You have a true gift and I'm so grateful that you're sharing it with me. I don't know what I did to deserve it."

Buffy pulled away to stare into his eyes. "All you did was love me. Don't ever stop, okay?"

He smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "No chance of that ever happening. I'll always love you. I don't think I know how to do anything else."

She returned his smile and planted a passionate kiss on his lips.

Spike was eager to return her kiss, picking her up a bit in the process.

Buffy broke away when breathing became an issue and rested her head against his chest. "I love you," she whispered.

Spike held her tighter, never wanting to let her go. They could both live for a hundred years, and he would never get tired of hearing that. She gave him the entire world with just those words. He then whispered words in return that he wasn't planning on saying yet, but couldn't think of anything else more perfect to say at that moment. "Will you marry me?"


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Buffy pulled away in shock. He said it softly, but she couldn't have imagined it.

"Are you serious?" she wondered after a few minutes of silence.

"I wouldn't have said it if I wasn't serious. I know this is really soon…"

She cut him off. "Really soon? Spike, I just got out of the eleventh grade. I don't think really soon is exactly how I would put it. We're way too young to even be thinking about that."

"Buffy, you need to breathe. I'm not talking about us getting married tomorrow. I don't care if we get married in ten years; it's not something I want to rush into. I just want to know that it's a possibility in the future. I already know that you're the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. I need to know if that's what you want, too."

Buffy sighed in relief. "Of course I would want that. You know, when we're old enough for it."

Spike nodded. "That's good enough for me."

She let out a laugh. "You scared the crap out of me. I thought you were really serious about getting married now. I was worried that you would pull a ring out or something."

Spike avoided her gaze, then nervously reached into his pocket.

Buffy gasped when he pulled out a black box, opening it to reveal a diamond ring.

"Let me explain before you freak out."

She nodded and waited for whatever he had to say.

Spike took a deep breath. "This ring belonged to my mother. It was left to me before she died. I guess she figured I would be the first one to get married or something. I always keep it close. She told me to give it to the woman that would steal my heart one day. This ring will be yours, Buffy. I'm not saying you would have to wear it now, but I plan on putting it on your finger one day. The day we officially decide to get engaged. It could be after college, whenever you feel ready. I would wait forever if I had to."

Buffy had more tears coming down her face and didn't even realize it. "I think it's safe to say that you won't be waiting forever." She looked up at him to see that his eyes were also watery. "Can I try it on?"

He nodded and took the ring out of the box, placing it on her finger. "It's a perfect fit. Just like you."

She blushed and gazed down at the diamond. "It's so beautiful. This makes me want to get married a lot sooner."

Spike grasped her hand and kissed her knuckles. "We have all the time in the world."

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They all entered the house later that night, still discussing Buffy's performance.

Joyce and Giles came to see what the commotion was about.

"She was really great, Mom. You would have been proud of her," Tara said.

Joyce hugged Buffy. "I always am."

She felt embarrassed from all of the attention.

Joyce pulled away to get a good look at her daughter, when she noticed something sparkling on her finger. "Is that what I think it is?"

Buffy's eyes widened as her mother inspected the ring.

The others were just as curious.

"Oh god, my little girl is engaged."

Buffy pulled her hand away. "No, I'm not. I just forgot to take it off. It's not a big deal." She slipped the ring off of her finger and quickly handed it to Spike.

He took it from her, but not before Giles got a good look.

"Is that your mother's ring?"

Spike sighed. "Yes, I gave it to her." He knew that wasn't the right thing to say when he saw the expression on his father's face.

"Oh, dear lord."

Joyce cleared her throat. "Okay, I think it's time for everyone to get to bed now."

They moaned and groaned all the way upstairs.

Buffy and Spike tried to sneak away, but Joyce stopped them.

"Not you two, in the living room."

Spike kept his hand in hers and headed into the living room after their parents. He sat down on the couch and pulled Buffy down with him.

Joyce was the first one to break the silence. "All right, now is the time to explain yourselves."

Spike glanced at Buffy and decided to start first. "I did give her the ring, but it was only so she could try it on. I wanted to see how it would fit because I'm going to give it to her when we do plan to get married. Before either of you say anything, we're not getting married anytime soon. We're not engaged right now, but it's going to happen. And when it does, we hope you both would be able to accept it." He looked at his father. "Mum left me the ring to give to my future wife, and that's what I plan on doing. Buffy is it, Dad. I know that more than anything else in this world. She's the only one for me."

Buffy squeezed his hand and smiled. "He's the only one for me, too."

Joyce took a deep breath and could clearly see the love that both teenagers shared for each other. It reminded her of how she felt for Rupert. "You are both going to college. If this is really serious, then I'm sure you could wait a few years before discussing any marriage plans. No matter what you do, we'll be here to support your decision." She looked to her husband for something to add.

"Yes, we will both support your decision. I think your mother would be very proud of who you decided to give her ring to, William. I know I am."

Buffy surprised everyone when she got up to give Giles a hug, tears streaming down her face.

Giles was just as stunned because it was the most affection that the girl has ever shown for him, but he smiled and returned the embrace.

Buffy pulled away and wiped her eyes. "Thank you," she whispered.

He nodded. "You're very welcome. Now, I think it's time for the both of you to get to bed. It has been a very tiring day."

They gave their parents one more hug before heading up the stairs.

Joyce watched them go, then turned back to her husband. "They're all growing up so fast."

Giles agreed. "It will soon just be us alone in this big house."

She smiled. "I can hardly wait."


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

Buffy entered the house to find Spike watching TV alone in the living room. She was surprised that no one else was around and sat beside him.

"What are you watching?"

He shrugged. "Just the news, nothing else seems to be on. This just isn't right. Some bloke was arrested last night from forcing himself on a young girl. She was only about a year younger than you. The poor girl, he raped and beat her. It makes me sick to hear about stuff like that."

Buffy agreed and watched the footage of the cops cuffing the man and shoving him into a police car. Her jaw dropped when she got a good look at the attacker. "Oh my god, that's him," she said, moving closer to the screen.

Spike looked at her in confusion. "You actually know that guy?"

She shook her head and turned back to him. "That's the guy from the mall. The one that hit on me."

Spike paled at this news and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back down to his side.

"That could have been me."

He held her tighter, relieved that it wasn't her. "Let's just be grateful that you managed to walk away."

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, good thing I was in a public place. God, I knew that guy was a creep. I'm glad they finally caught him. I met him a few months ago, there's no telling how many girls he hurt in all that time." She looked at her boyfriend. "Can we watch something else now?"

Spike was happy to change the channel after that. He settled it on _Dirty Dancing _because he knew how much Buffy loved that movie.

They were a little into the film, when she decided to break the silence.

"Spike, I think I'm ready to wear the ring now."

He wasn't expecting her to say that, not for a while at least. "Are you sure? It's still really soon, Buffy. You only just started your senior year, and I'm in my first year of college."

"I'm really sure. We'll just call it a long engagement. I probably won't be ready for marriage for a few more years, but it would mean a lot for me to wear the ring now. This way I won't have to deal with creepy guys again. Everyone will know that I belong to you. If they still bother me, then I'll just have to shove the ring in their face."

Spike smiled and went into his pocket to retrieve the black box. "I told you I always keep it close." He took the ring out and placed it on her finger. "So, I guess this means we're officially engaged now."

"Yeah, I guess it does. Our parents are gonna love this."

He laughed. "They knew it was coming, so they shouldn't be too surprised."

Buffy pressed a kiss to his lips and then rested her head against his shoulder to enjoy the rest of the movie.

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"God, they are so disgusting. Why can't they make out in the janitor's closet like everyone else?"

Buffy had to agree with Faith as she continued to watch Parker and Harmony play tonsil hockey in the distance. "It's like a really bad car accident. You know you shouldn't look, but you can't seem to turn away."

Faith finally looked away when it became too nauseating. "If you ask me, those two deserve each other. Why is she still around, anyway?"

"Harmony failed too many classes and has to repeat her senior year. We all have to suffer for it. I was so happy to finally be rid of her, but no such luck. I don't know how she got with Parker, but I don't care to think about it. She can have him."

Faith nodded and smiled when she noticed her boyfriend head in their direction. "Hey, baby. I was just thinking about you."

Gunn smiled as well. "I was just thinking about you, too." He wrapped his arms around her and planted a hard kiss on her mouth.

Faith pulled away and licked her lips. "I hear the janitor's closet is free," she said seductively, then looked at Buffy. "That okay with you, B?"

She shrugged. "Sure, go ahead. You can do that since your boyfriend still goes to this school, while I'm stuck all by my lonesome."

Faith rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you'll see Spike at home later."

Buffy watched them go and closed her locker door. She would see Spike later, but sometimes it was hard to even go one day without him.

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"Bloody hell, I was going crazy without you."

Buffy pulled away long enough to breathe, then met Spike's lips in another fiery kiss.

He slipped his hand under her blouse and caressed her stomach.

She moaned at his touch. "We shouldn't be doing this in here."

Spike gazed down at her flushed face, knowing that making out in her room was probably not a good idea, but he couldn't help himself. "I'm willing to risk it. Besides, everyone knows about us. We're engaged now, it's not like we're going beyond snogging. I just needed to touch you. I would take you to the dorms to have some privacy, but I have a bloody annoying roommate. He doesn't have much of a life, so he's always there."

"It's fine, but I do have some homework that I should probably be getting to. You corrupted my innocent little mind last year and I barely passed."

Spike raised his eyebrows. "Oh, I think you were corrupted before I got here, you little minx." He started to tickle her, knowing that was a weakness.

She laughed and tried to push him away, but he held her wrists over her head and continued to attack her with his fingers.

Spike stopped his torture when it looked like she had enough. He lay beside her and ran his fingers through her hair.

She smiled at the change in his mood. "Do you think I should get a haircut or something?"

Spike looked appalled by that idea. "You better not. I love your hair. It's perfect just the way it is. My little golden goddess."

Buffy was satisfied by his answer. "Flattery gets you everywhere. I'm sleepy now," she said, yawning to prove her point.

He couldn't help the smile that graced his lips at how adorable she was. "Rest for a bit, love. I'll wake you up in an hour."

She nodded and did just that.

Spike didn't take his eyes off of her, until he also started to feel tired. It wasn't long before he dozed off as well.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

"Dawn, what the hell are you doing?"

The young girl pulled away instantly at the sight of her sister. "I wasn't doing anything."

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest. "It looks to me like you were taking advantage of an empty house to make out with your boyfriend."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "It's not like we were in my room, unlike you and Spike. It was completely innocent."

Buffy decided to let it go. "We'll talk about this later, but he needs to leave. We're already running late for the church."

Dawn nodded and glanced at the boy next to her. "Sorry about this, RJ. I have a wedding to get to. Maybe I can meet you at the Bronze tonight?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, that's fine. See you later, babe." He placed a quick kiss on her cheek and walked by Buffy, heading out of the house.

Buffy didn't think he was a very good choice for her sister, but Dawn was sixteen now and probably wouldn't take too kindly to her older sister interfering in her love life. Besides, who was she to judge?

Dawn glared at her once RJ left. "You are such a buzz kill."

Buffy smiled. "Love you, too. Now, get in the car."

She sighed and did just that. "I can't believe Mom is letting you drive me. Doesn't she want us to get there in one piece?"

"You're too funny, Dawn. I happen to be a very good driver. I passed the test and everything."

Dawn rolled her eyes again. "Yeah, after about five tries."

Buffy started the car. "Shut up," she mumbled and drove to their destination.

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"I now pronounce you husband and wife, again. You may kiss the bride."

Joyce and Giles smiled at each other as they shared a tender kiss.

The audience, which was mostly their children, applauded for the once again married couple.

Joyce wanted a real wedding after getting eloped. Now that she knew both families were happy together, she wanted a wedding that involved everyone she loved and Rupert was happy to give it to her. It meant so much that her children were there to share this joyous occasion with them this time. And soon, she would be seeing her little girl walk down the aisle. Buffy was far from a little girl anymore, but she always would be to Joyce. All of her children were so grown up now. She smiled as a thought formed in her head. Their family was about to get bigger.

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"You're pregnant?"

Joyce sighed as twelve voices came to her at once. It sure did bring back memories. She decided to tell them the news once they were back at the house. "Yes, I'm pregnant. You're all going to have a little brother or sister."

"That is so gross!"

"You still do that at your age?"

"I'm so happy for you!"

"This family is big enough as it is!"

Joyce held her hand up to stop the bickering. "There's nothing to be done about it now. This baby is already a part of our lives and I want you all to accept that." She looked to her husband, who still remained silent. This was also the first time he was hearing about it.

Giles gave his wife a smile when he realized her attention was now on him. "I think this is fantastic news. It just means that we won't be having the house to ourselves as soon as we thought, but I couldn't be happier."

Joyce sighed in relief and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm so glad you feel that way."

Everyone started to argue again, but Joyce and Giles were too lost in their own world to notice anymore.

Spike stood up from where he was seated and grabbed Buffy's hand, pulling her away from the chaos. He noticed the vacant expression on her face and that she wasn't arguing with the others. He was worried and wanted to know what was wrong. He didn't let her go, until they were alone in his old room. "Are you okay?"

She finally seemed to come out of her trance at his voice. "I just can't believe my mother's having a baby."

"How do you feel about that?" he wondered.

Buffy wiped her eyes to feel wetness there. She didn't even realize that she was crying. "I'm okay with it. I'm really happy for both of them."

Spike gazed down at her face in concern. "Why do I have a feeling those aren't happy tears?"

Buffy took a deep breath and figured that it was time he knew the truth. "It was just hard to hear right now." She decided to clarify after seeing the confused expression on his face. "Okay, I'll just come out and say this. A few months ago, I thought I was pregnant."

Spike's eyes bulged and he was about to respond, but she held up a hand to stop him.

"I didn't tell you because I wanted to be sure first. There was no use getting you worried for nothing, so Willow was the only one that I talked to about it. I couldn't trust telling anyone in the family. It's hard to keep any secrets around here. So, I took a pregnancy test and it came out negative. I figured since I wasn't pregnant, there was no reason for you to know anything about it. I should have told you, but I was scared to. I know neither one of us is ready for that, but I think I really wanted it. I was really upset knowing that I wasn't having a baby and I couldn't stand to see the happiness on your face about me not being pregnant. I mean, the last thing an almost college graduate wants is a baby. We're not even married yet, so that's why I didn't tell you. Mom suddenly getting pregnant completely took me by surprise. I felt sad again knowing that it's not me."

Spike couldn't believe everything she told him. "God, Buffy. You could have talked to me about this. I would have probably been just as upset," he said with a small smile.

"You mean that?"

He nodded and wrapped his arms around her waist. "There is nothing I want more than to get married and have children with you. It will happen for us, love. Just because you're not having a baby now, doesn't mean you won't. We have all the time in the world. And when it does happen, I guarantee you'll make me the happiest man on earth."

Buffy felt more tears in her eyes. "I love you."

Spike pressed his lips to the top of her head. "I love you, too. Always and forever, baby." He moved her over to the bed, where they both lay down.

It didn't take Buffy long to fall asleep in his arms.

Spike watched over her for a while longer, vaguely hearing the racket that was still going on downstairs. He caressed her stomach and thought about a baby soon growing inside of her. He couldn't imagine having a child with anyone else. "What did I ever do to deserve you? You're so perfect, I couldn't have asked for anyone better. We'll be so happy together, Buffy. I'll never do anything to hurt you. I love you so much," he whispered, making himself more comfortable by her side. He took a few more moments staring at his golden goddess and then followed her in slumber, with his hand still resting on her belly.

**The End**

Well, we've finally reached the end for this one. I didn't want to drag it on so long and add a lot more angst, so I think that was a good enough place to stop. I have no plans for a sequel or anything, but you never know when something would come to me. I have another story that I'm hoping to post soon, but it might not be right away. I think I need to take a little break right now. Thanks to those that stuck with this one and always reviewed. I'm glad you guys liked it!


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